(I Won't Say) I'm in Love
by powerfulhallucinations
Summary: CS AU One-Shot Collection: Home to my prompts full of angst and fluff, maybe some smut I don't know yet. First Shot: The Olym-Fic
1. Going for Gold: The Olym-Fic

**A/N: The one-shot collection no one asked for and that I probably shouldn't be making whilst juggling three other fics...but I have prompts and I need to write them.**

 **Disclaimer: Not mine.**

 **Going for Gold: The Olym-fic**

The atmosphere was electric.

The crowd throughout the arena went between pin-drop silence and deafening applause.  
For them it would have been difficult to track the various athletes over each of the six pieces of equipment; but for Emma Swan, there was only one person amongst the thousands present who mattered.

~E&K~

 _3 Years Ago_

She was striding through her favourite gym in L.A, beloved by most people of her status for the managers lack of tolerance towards persistent paparazzi.

She may have only been twenty, but Emma was making some serious waves in the Hollywood circuit, as the next big, up-and-coming actress after landing herself a leading role in the latest box-office hit.  
Having taken to the silver-screen when she was only seventeen, a small speaking part in a fairly successful rom-com, Emma had been determined to see her dream come true; pushing her manager, Regina Mills (someone who was born to negotiate million dollar contracts in tinsel town) into getting her auditions for more prominent Directors. Things for her took off when she was nineteen and won a People's Choice Award as the best break-through actress, thanks to her work in infamous director, Merlin Elm's film, The Saviour.

She'd just been recast by Elm in his latest fantasy, action-adventure, about a woman who discovers a fairy-tale world within our own, which would lead to lots of villainous chases, hand to hand combat and eventually sword fights.  
Hence the reason, she was currently wiping the sweat from her brow, with the towel round her neck, after a particularly gruelling work-out.

Making her way towards the exit, Emma was distracted by the sound of whooping and yelling coming from behind a door to her right that had been slightly propped, presumably to allow the hint of a breeze to enter the gym and break the sweltering heat.

Listening to the thumps and cheers, curiosity got the better of her, and Emma slipped through the gap into the room.

What she saw made her jaw drop.

A group of men were surrounding a large square of sprung floor, shouting loud encouragement at the person who was tumbling there.  
Her eyes grew wide, as the dark haired gymnast broke into a flat out sprint before launching into the air, twisting twice, landing, and then immediately springing off again.

She let out an involuntary gasp as he soared forward, seemingly about to land on his face, before tucking into a smooth forward-roll and leading into the corner.

She must have been louder than she thought, because at her squeak of shock, two of the observers turned around and caught her staring.  
"Sorry," Emma said shyly, "This is obviously a closed practice and I've totally just interrupted and I should-"  
"Hey, hey, hey; don't worry about it," said the tall blonde man, approaching slowly after throwing a glance back at the mat, to make sure they hadn't put the gymnast off.  
"Yeah, the kid probably needs to get used to strangers watching him," added the blonde man's dark haired companion, "Jefferson Hatter," he said sticking out his hand, "And this is David Nolan."

Emma was in the middle of shaking hands with David, when she realised why their names and faces seemed so familiar.  
 _"Holy shit,"_ she hissed, "Please tell me I didn't just interrupt the U.S Olympic team training session."  
"Well I could," Jefferson smirked, "But it would be a lie."  
"Oh god," Emma groaned, "I'm so, _so_ sorry, I should definitely be going now, if we lose the Olympics it's going to be all my-"  
Her sentence was interrupted as a third individual joined their little group, and her breath caught.

"Dave, Jeff seriously," the new arrival said, "I finish the bloody routine thinking you'll be there to tell me what you think, and instead you're off flirting with- _oh."_

The gymnast who had previously been dazzling Emma with his floor work, cut himself off as he finally met her eyes and seemed to freeze.  
"Sorry about that Kil," said David, smirking as he looked between his team-mate and the woman he was now staring at, "We were just chatting with-"  
"Emma Swan," the man said quickly, finding his voice again, and blushing as Emma looked up in surprise.  
"Yes, how did you-?"  
"I watched you in The Saviour... _Not that I just watched you,_ I watched everyone obviously, what I meant was that...I saw you in The Saviour."

Emma couldn't help but smile at his frankly adorable rambling and the way that the tips of his ears had turned pink, as he scratched the back of his neck.  
"I'm Killian Jones," he said, looking at her from beneath his eyelashes, whilst offering his hand.  
"Nice to meet you Killian," Emma whispered, smiling, and not even caring about the chalk that now covered her palm.

~E&K~

 _Present Day_

After that first meeting, Emma had often found herself coming back to the gymnasts private sector to watch their training, whenever she had free time.  
She found that she got along really well with David, Jefferson; and, after meeting her, she struck up a fast friendship with David's wife Mary-Margaret, a Celebrity Chef who owned the Michelin Star restaurant Poisoned Apples and Sleeping Curses, in the heart of L.A.

The coaches seemed to get used to her presence, how she would set up in the corner with her script or join them by the equipment to shout encouragement.  
She assumed it was probably due to the fact that she and Killian had become practically glued at the hip.

He was a few months older than her, twenty-one rather than twenty, but seemed to enjoy having someone his own age around to prevent the mockery of being the baby of the men's team.  
The two, went for lunch, for coffee, for dinner, to the movies, to the park, to the gym. Essentially if either of them had a free moment they liked to spend it together.  
The media had a field day, speculating about their relationship; whether or not Hollywood's new sweetheart was dating the future hope of the Olympic team. It was all very 'will they, won't they', but for Emma and Killian they were just the closest of friends.

He'd moved to America from Ireland when he was eight with his mother and brother; the dual citizenship allowing to pick the country that he would compete for. His brother Liam, who was three years older, competed for the Irish team in diving, whilst Killian chose U.S.A for gymnastics. Their mother supported both her boys in equal measure and was more than happy to adopt Emma into their little family.  
Serena Jones had invited her to come along to the World Championships, but, Emma's schedule hadn't allowed it. She'd made sure to watch from home and screamed aloud in her living room when Killian shocked the world and took the silver medal, coming in after David who won gold.

When they'd arrived back at the airport, Emma had flung herself into Killian's arms, adding fuel to the media fire; but she didn't care. Her best friend was a world silver medallist and damn straight she was going to hug the life out of him.  
It was seeing those pictures that had made her realise what she had been blind to for far too long.

Staring at herself in the centre pages of sports illustrated, being lifted off of the ground by Killian, with the caption _'gymnastics team celebrate double victory with loved ones,'_ Emma Swan had had to come to terms with the fact that in the past years, without her knowledge, she'd fallen in love with her best friend.  
It was a realisation met with much wine and ice-cream as well as a long hard chat with Mary-Margaret whose only response had been _"Fucking finally."_

And now she was here.  
Rio 2016.  
The final of the men's individual gymnastics.  
Six rounds, six pieces of equipment, six routines between Killian and victory or defeat.

She was sat in the friends and family section with Liam, Serena, Mary-Margaret and Jefferson's daughter Grace beside her.  
Little Grace, was still cheering loudly for her father despite the fact that he'd a slip up on the rings that meant he was out of the running for a medal, but could still place highly. Killian and David were still in contention, but the Japanese and Ukrainian competitors were still hot competition.

Her nails had been bitten down into stubs (something Regina could scold her for later) but right now Emma didn't care. The gymnast from Ukraine had made a mistake, allowing his legs to part a couple of times on the pommel horse, pushing him out of the medal group. Either way, Killian would go home with a piece of metal around his neck, but the colour all came to rest on this final routine.

Emma shuffled to the edge of her seat, gripping Serena's hand as he stepped onto the floor.

She'd watched him do this a dozen times, watched him tumble, seen him fall, supported him through his perfect attempts and picked him up after disastrous turns. The skill level was high, higher than anything he'd done yet, and, _if it went right,_ Killian could be going home an Olympic Champion.

Silence descended as he began.  
He nailed the first tumbles, slipping easily into the ground work. Emma had always marvelled at his strength, recalling the time they'd been slightly tipsy and he'd decided to bench press her.  
He was back up and nearing the most complex section. Killian twisted and flipped, backwards and forwards, across the floor before reaching the corner once again.  
Emma leaned impossibly further forward as Killian took off. He sprinted hard, springing off his hands into the final triple twist combination.  
The crowd seemed to inhale as one as he landed, but he landed flat and finished, immediately pumping his fists into the air, thanking the judges and heading back to his team, throwing himself into David and Jefferson who pounded him hard on the back.

David was in second position at the moment, the Japanese competitor leading; but Killian's score could change it all.  
His face was displayed on every screen, waiting anxiously in the arms of his team-mates for the results to come up. His whoop of sheer joy was all the confirmation Emma needed to leap from her seat and scream in celebration.  
15.8.  
It set him just over one point ahead of the now silver medallist gymnast.

The U.S fans were yelling, flags waving, as Killian was tracked across the room, accepting hugs and handshakes of congratulations from his fellow competitors.  
Emma was still jumping on the spot, holding on tightly to Mary-Margaret who had tears in her eyes, happy for Killian and still proud of David's bronze medal. It was probably the scene that they were making that allowed Killian to find them.

His eyes traced the stands until he caught her eye, immediately smiling and running over.  
Serena and Liam leaned down over the barrier to hug him as best they could tears both flowing freely down their cheeks until they released him onto Emma.  
"Hey superstar," she yelled over the din of the crowd, laughing as he brushed the tears she hadn't known were there, from her cheeks.  
Killian was grinning up at her, looking at her as if shed hung the moon and stars.  
It was all the encouragement she needed.

Something must have changed in her expression, because as Emma leaned down, Killian gripped the barrier and pushed up.  
Their lips met for the first time, with the entire world watching as Emma threaded her fingers into his hair, while Killian dangled two feet off the ground, his hands occupied with holding him up.  
"I knew gymnastics would come in handy for something," he breathed out after they separated, foreheads resting against each other.  
Emma chuckled, acknowledging the officials behind them, "Go get your gold Olympic Champion," she said, laughing harder as Killian kissed her once more, hard and fast and sweet before being taken off by the somewhat disgruntled staff.

She was certain she shouted herself horse as David received his bronze and then even further as the gold was hung around her Killian's neck. The national anthem was just a mess of blubbering and whoops but no one cared as David all but tackled his team-mate in a hug and the final pictures were taken with the American flag waving proudly behind Killian Jones' head

~E&K~

Emma, Mary-Margaret, Grace and the Joneses waited for around an hour outside of the stadium, where even more of the press were waiting to interview the victorious team.  
However, the team didn't seem interested in talking to them.  
Jefferson, who came sixth in the end, snatched up Grace, Mary-Margaret leaped onto David who caught her and spun her around, Killian kissed and hugged his mother, slapped Liam on the back and then strode with more purpose than she'd ever seen to where she was standing.

"Just to confirm Swan," he breathed, "You kissing me on TV before the whole world means we're together now, yes?"  
"Yes," Emma replied, stroking a hand through his hair to push it back like she'd dreamed of doing for what felt like forever.  
"Good, because I have been desperately and irrevocably in love with you for three years now Emma Swan."  
"Well that's okay then," said Emma, nudging his nose with hers, "Because I love you too Killian Jones."

~E&K~

This time Emma wasn't shocked by the copy of Sports Illustrated she found in the stores at home.  
Instead she peeled off the cover and framed it, placing the immortalised image of Killian Jones kissing her in a dip with the silhouette of the Olympic Rings behind them.

 **A/N: This has been stuck in my head all day, and it's not very British of me but I'm sure my country will forgive me. I hope you enjoyed and please feel free to send me prompts you would like to see written.**


	2. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Prompt:** **"Constantly fighting for the best seat in the library/coffee shop/whatever" au.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Hit Me With Your Best Shot**

College was normally pretty good, according to Emma Swan.  
The work was hard and there was a lot of it, yet she enjoyed her time at Misthaven working towards her degree and spending any free time she had with her friends Ruby, Regina, Belle and Mary-Margaret.  
So yes, college was pretty good.

However; college also sucked.  
College sucked huge hairy balls, and never more so did it suck, than during exams.

During exam season, college students went from relatively pleasant people, to downright rude, selfish and vicious.  
There was only so much time that one could spend studying within your own room before going completely crazy, naturally, everyone had the same thought; so the battles would begin across campus for the best studying spots.  
Empty rooms, under trees, coffee shops, cafes, diners and libraries become battle grounds of choice.

Emma Swan, fortunately, was a veteran.  
She had learnt to fight or die in her first year when it came to securing a space to study; by her second year she had figured out a routine of rotation so that, by now, in her third year of studying at Misthaven; she had identified the number one study spot on the entirety of campus.

Such gold-dust came in the form of one specific desk in the library.

It was big enough for two people to share, but unless you like that individual a lot, it's easy enough to fend off stragglers by spreading enough things across the surface and glaring with just the amount of murder eyes to warn them that you will not be sharing. There's no gum stuck to the bottom, and no graffiti on the top. Beside a window which doesn't stick, so there's a good breeze in summer and to the right of a radiator to keep things toasty in winter. There's a nearby plug with which to charge a phone or set up a laptop, thus preventing any need to dash across to the computers which will almost certainly be unavailable. It's far away enough from the door to not be constantly disturbed by people entering, but close enough in case you end up forgetting the time and needing to make a mad dash.

The desk was Emma's studying safe haven. She knew exactly what time she would have to arrive at the library to secure it for either a morning, afternoon or evening session; her phone alarm had never failed her yet and as such, she strode calmly confident up the stairs and through the doors only to be stopped short.

There was a head of messy, dark hair, leaned over a textbook, headphones in, fingers of his left hand tapping, while the right, scribbled down notes on a legal pad.  
 _ON. HER. DESK._

Recovering from the momentary shock, Emma checked her phone; she was bang on time, how the hell had this guy got to her desk.  
Pushing back her shoulders, and hiking up the strap on her bag, she marched over prepared to give this guy a piece of her mind.

Stopping just short of the table top, Emma cleared her throat.  
No response.  
"Headphones," she hissed to herself, before reaching out and rapping sharply on the wood. The guy started, dropping his pen and looking up in confusion.

 _Goddammit._

That was the first thought to enter Emma's mind as her gaze locked with a dazzling pair of blue eyes.

Of course the guy who was ruining her study time and who she was going to have to lay into was stupidly attractive. The whole wild hair, innocent gaze, broad-shoulders, five o'clock shadow on a strong jawline was really doing it for her, but she couldn't be distracted.  
He pulled the buds from his ears, a slight smile tipping up the corner of his mouth, "Can I help you love?"

 _GODDAMMIT_

 _An accent...really?_ Of course he had a smooth accent that sent a shudder down her spine to add to his general deliciousness.  
"Lass?"  
His voice broke through her thoughts and Emma realised she'd been staring dumbfounded at this stranger for at least a minute or so.

Shaking herself off, she fixed him with her most unimpressed stare.  
"Yeah, sorry but you need to move," she said, folding her arms across her chest.  
"Move?" he asked, a frown marring his ridiculously good looking face.  
"This is _my_ desk and you need to move so I can study."  
The stranger looked a touch hacked off now, leaning back into his seat and mirroring her position of folded arms.  
"Forgive me love, but I think you'll find that there are no assigned desks in this library so I don't _have_ to move."

So that's how he was going to play it.  
"Firstly," Emma spat, "I am not your love, secondly, I always use this desk, the whole of campus probably knows it, so it's mine and you need to go."  
"Well forgive me _love,_ but seemingly the whole of campus doesn't know, and seeing as you can't reserve desks I think I'll stay right here. There is still plenty of other places you can sit."  
With that, he pointedly stuck his headphones back into his ear, and began writing away again.

Emma stood stunned for a moment, _the nerve of this guy.  
_ With a huff, she shouldered her bag and stalked away to a sticky, graffiti covered desk far from a window and too close to the door.  
She would have her desk back, and Mr. Accented Blue Eyes would just have to suck it up.

~E&K~

The next day Emma changed her alarm and forewent putting on any makeup, choosing to half jog over to the library, taking the steps two at a time and bursting through the entrance.  
She was the first one there, her desk was empty, but she quickly rectified that problem unloading every book and stack of notes that she had, covering each inch until the wooden surface could hardly be seen. Sitting herself down, Emma got straight to work, half an eye on the door until five minutes later, Mr. Tall, Dark and Irritating came walking in.

His eyes instantly zeroed in on her where she pretended to be working, trying exceptionally hard to keep the smug smile off of her face. Her body seemed to become more alert as he approached until she could feel him looming over her, his fingers brushing across the top of some of her notes.  
"You're starting a fight you can't win, _Emma Swan."_

Her head shot up as he smirked and walked away without a backwards glance.  
She searched across the table until her eyes landed on the crooked page of notes he'd touched when he first arrived...the one with her name scrawled across the top.  
"You-" she spun around.  
"Killian Jones," he called over his shoulder, settling on the same desk she had sat at yesterday, putting in his music with an amused smile.

~E&K~

The war between Emma Swan and Killian Jones went back and forth day by day; each winning battles and each losing in their own share. Whereas Emma hated it, she got the feeling Killian was quite enjoying himself every day.

His tactics became more imaginative with each passing interaction.  
He'd pretended to see Ruby as he came up the steps behind her, faked injury so she hovered and then sprinted off, at one point he'd lobbed his pencil case over her head which somehow landed flat on the desk rather than skidding off like Emma had willed it too.

She was far less creative, using brute strength and speed to over take him or in one case, they'd arrived at the exact same moment and she'd looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes, tucking her hair behind her ears and smiling coyly. Killian's breath had hitched and he'd frozen, allowing Emma to swan (pun very much intended) right on pass him.

It was the afternoon session and Emma knew she was late, knew that Killian would have the table on the day she wanted it most. In two days time, Emma had one of her longest and hardest exam, she needed to study and knew without her desk things wouldn't go the way she wanted.  
Feeling defeated Emma, slouched into the library, noticing all the stuff laid out on her desk, but surprisingly, there was no one behind it.

Glancing around, Emma saw Killian leaning over someone else's desk towards the back of the library, completely engulfed in whatever he was saying.  
She knew she shouldn't, but the opportunity was there. Chancing a glance over her shoulder, Emma piled up all of his things putting them in a large pile by one of the stacks and laying out her own stuff before slipping into the seat to work.

"Whose things are these?!"  
The voice of the rather irate librarian rang out and everyone turned to look at her and the offending pile of stuff. Killian peered over looking confused.  
"They're mine," he said, walking over.  
"The library floor is not a place to study young man. Someone could have tripped over these and had a serious accident. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."  
"But I-"  
"Out!"  
Killian stood bewildered for a moment, his eyes searching before they landed on her on the stolen desk.

For the first time, Emma shrank away from the gaze of Killian Jones.  
There was a muscle ticking in his jaw and his eyes looked dark and angry.  
With one last glare in her direction, he gathered up his pile and marched out of the library.

~E&K~

Emma tried not to feel guilty for the rest of the day, the memory of how he had looked at her; anger and disappointment all rolled into one, had been haunting her.  
She went back the next morning, surprised that he wasn't anywhere around, in fact he never showed at all.  
The next day she did the same, this time waiting for fifteen minutes doing nothing, readying herself for when he'd walk through the door, though nothing prepared her for what happened when he did.

Killian's eyes fixed on hers, but they were cold and emotionless. Emma found her back straightening as he approached and came to a stop, a good few feet away.  
"Congratulations Swan," he said, his voice lacking it's usual lightness, "You win, I'm admitting defeat."  
"Jones-" she started.  
"Yesterday, I had the most difficult exam of my entire time table. I arrived extra early in order to get that bloody desk just so perhaps I could concentrate while working. Instead I had to go back to my room with my room-mate who has finished and was busy partying it up with his girlfriend. Quite frankly Emma, I didn't think you would ever stoop to that level, so as I said; congratulations you can have your desk and the joy of knowing that I've failed."

Having said his piece, he walked right back out of the library, leaving Emma floundering, equal parts hurt and angered.

~E&K~

"Where does he even get off saying that!" she complained loudly to Ruby later that evening, "As if I'm being held personally responsible for his failure, what an ass-hole."  
"This is the guy who was sitting in your 'special spot' a couple of days ago?" questioned Ruby with a little frown.  
"Yeah, Killian 'holier than thou' Jones."  
"Oh Emma," her friend sighed sounding disappointed.  
"What, he had it coming, if he thinks-"  
"Killian Jones wasn't sitting at that stupid desk because he was at the back of the library comforting me. That was the day I had my complete meltdown. He saw me crying and came over. The only person in that whole fucking library to give a damn. Do you know why? He asked if I was _your_ friend; he came and sat with me for fifteen minutes while I cried all over him because I happened to know you. He was really sweet and you took advantage of that."

Emma was stunned.  
"How was I meant to know that's what he was doing?"  
"It's not about knowing Emma, it's about not being petty and childish over a desk and having a bit of respect. You were late, he was there and you got him in trouble and don't even feel bad about it. It's obvious that he likes you, I can't think of anyone else who would have put up with that, and the way you talked about him before today, you like him too. That's why you're so pissed now, you can't handle him not flirting with you."  
Emma was silent after Ruby's statement, the revelation hitting her like a freight train.

 _She,_ Emma Swan, who hadn't had a crush in two years, had a thing for Killian Jones.

 _Goddammit._

~E&K~

She didn't know if he would show up, didn't know if he would even talk to her if he did.  
The steps of the library were warm in the morning sun, the light filtering through the leaves above her, casting shadows of those who entered the building.

Her eyes stayed trained on the concrete until a shadow seemed to falter and come to a halt.  
Looking up, she met the uncertain gaze of Killian Jones, as he stood over her at the base of the steps.  
"Swan," he said stiffly.  
"Killian," she replied, smiling slightly at the shock as she used his name for the first time.  
"Your desk will be taken by now."  
"I don't care about a desk," Emma said, standing using her step to put them at eye level, "I care that you start smiling at me again, that you sigh with half-hearted exasperation, that your eyes light up every time you best me. I care about getting Killian Jones back. I like that desk; but nowhere near as much as I like you."

"Emma," he breathed, light slowly coming back into his eyes.  
"I was thinking, if you don't have some urgent studying to do, that maybe we could go and get some coffee or something."  
It was a question disguised as a statement and as such made that familiar smirk tilt Killian's lips.  
"It would be my honour Swan," he said, turning slightly for her to lead on.  
"Killian," Emma interrupted quickly.

As he rotated back, she grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pressing her lips roughly against his for a brief moment, before pulling back.  
"For...uh...science," she muttered, scurrying down to lead the way, until he sidled up beside her.  
Killian slipped his fingers carefully through hers,  
"For the record Swan," he murmured into her ear, leaning down to brush a light kiss to the corner of her mouth, "I think we have excellent chemistry."

 **A/N: Ta dah, I'm on a roll. Probably won't last but enjoy it while it does.  
** **Also, thank you to my fellow Brit reader for forgiving me.**


	3. I Have Nothing (If I Don't Have You)

**Prompt:** **'your apartment is next to/above mine and i can hear you and your partner dancing/singing/the bed moving/you two laughing and talking and i can't sleep so i bitch about it to you 24/7 and one day it stops and one day turns to months and i haven't seen you smile in forever please let me in, i've been knocking for ten minutes' au.**

 **Disclaimer: I own zero things**

 **IHave Nothing**

Killian Jones hated his neighbour.

 _Okay,_ so perhaps that was a bold face lie.  
To correct:  
Killian Jones loved his neighbour.

Emma Swan had been the light of his bloody life ever since he moved into his, affectionately dubbed, _crap-shack._  
He was fresh out of college, a low-level job, and just enough money to afford the cramped little apartment, in the dodgy part of town to his name. The building was terrible, the stout landlord, nicknamed Grumpy, point blank refused to do anything that may in any way possibly help his tenants. The heater was dodgy, the taps leaked and the elevator didn't work.  
Cue Killian struggling his way up the stairs on the day he moved in, only his mate Robin to help, crashing into a blonde angel trying to get out. The box of books he'd been carrying landing heavily on his toe.

Emma Swan, as she revealed herself to be, had in fact been chasing the delivery boy who hadn't brought her fortune cookie when she slammed into him. The universe was kind though, and she decided to give up her chase in order to help him with moving in as well as using what little first aid she knew, to check and see if he needed to go to hospital with a broken toe.

Good news; he didn't, better news; from that day forward, Emma lowered herself to become his friend.

They shared movie nights, pizza dinners, games contests with their groups of friends successfully merged into one; all of them cramming themeselves into the crap-shack to play intense Pictionary or Articulate.  
Somewhere between the luke warm beer and the complaining over their tempramental showers; Killian discovered he'd only gone and fallen in love with the woman.  
So no he didn't hate _her.  
_ What Killian hated was _him._

 _Him,_ came in the form of Walsh.  
Walsh, the posh, stick rammed so far up his arse it peaked out of his mouth, furniture salesmen, who had somehow lured a beautiful, fierce, intelligent woman into dating him.

 _Walsh.  
_ The name was pretty much a curse word to him now, and everyone knew it, even Emma. In fact, he complained to her quite frequently about it.  
 _'Swan, Walsh stole the crossword puzzle from the Newspaper again.'  
'Swan, Walsh was cooking his god awful, grown up, healthy food, and now the entire building smells of asparagus.'  
'Swan, Walsh used the Pictionary pen to mark up furniture.'  
'Swan Walsh has this cologne that smells weird.'  
'Swan Walsh as it turns out smells weird with or without cologne.'  
'Swan!'_

The complaints went on and on.  
He knew he was being childish, allowing his blind rage that some man had had the guts to ask out Emma before him, to fuel his hate fire; but by god he couldn't stand the man.  
More so than anything, what Killian loathed the most, the only thing he hated about living next door to Emma; was that their bedrooms shared a wall.

When a man loves a woman, there are some things he just doesn't want to hear.  
Top of that list, _without a doubt,_ is having to listen to that woman experiencing pleasure from another man.  
Killian Jones would swear to anyone who asked, that Walsh was in fact a monkey in human form, night after night after night, he was forced to listen as the man howled in delight whilst bedding his Swan, tortured by every moment in which the headboard banged against the wall, or worse still, when he could hear Emma sing her love to another man.

On the first couple of visits he tried to ignore it. When Walsh next came over, he tried loud music; when Emma had asked about it the next day, he'd given up on that plan. Third was noise cancelling headphones, fourth was sleeping on his couch. Finally he came to two options. Some nights, Walsh would start his mating calls and Killian would be simply to tired and simply endure the pain. Most of the time, he slipped from his bed, grabbing only what he really needed and walking a few blocks to Robin's place which he now shared with Emma's friend Regina.  
Normally it would be Regina to answer the door, she would take one look at him in his pyjamas, sometimes soaked in rain and usher him inside. On those nights, they'd bundle him up in a towel or a blanket before sending him off to collapse in their spare bedroom.

As a result, he couldn't be found in his apartment in the morning's. Emma brought it up a couple of times, jumping to the conclusion that he must have been at a bar taking up some random conquest and finishing the evening at her house.  
He never corrected her. Killian Jones would rather have her believe that he was some cocky playboy, than let her know that he couldn't stay in his own home, because his heart broke a little every time it wasn't him getting to lie beside her.

~E&K~

For eight months this was Killian's routine. Get up, go to work, have lunch, more work, return to the Crap-Shack, have dinner, leave if Walsh is around.  
In those eight months, Killian tolerated a routine he hated, because it was th eonly way he could ignore that he was slowly seeing less of Emma Swan, or to phrase it better; he was losing her.

Breakfasts together vanished very quickly, what with her spending the morning in her boyfriend's arms and him being at Robin and Regina's. Soon however, movie nights vanished with Emma on trips to the theatre, pizza meals became Brunch with Walsh, group game night was upgraded for her into a trip to a fancy restaurant.  
Emma was falling for in love with Walsh, and falling slowly out of reach of Killian.

Whenever he did see her, he no longer complained and instead tried to savour every second.  
It was unanimously agreed amongst their friends that it was only a matter of time before Emma was swept out of their shitty little bit of the city and into Walsh's lavish apartment block with its functioning elevator and pipes that actually produced hot water. They were trying to come to terms with the fact; but it was difficult, for none more so than Killian.

He had no idea how much time he had left with Emma Swan, no idea how long it would be until the rug was pulled out from underneath him, no idea when the world would collapse and the girl who chased someone for a one dollar fortune cookie would be replaced with a wined and dined socialite.

~E&K~

That day came far too quickly for Killian's liking.

He'd got word from Mary-Margaret.  
Walsh was skipping the 'let's move into together phase' and jumping right to the 'be my wife' contract.  
It was merely speculation but M and Regina assured him that they were going to the first date restaurant, he'd told Emma to dress especially nicely, and had apparently been asking a lot of questions about the future.  
Yes, tonight was the night Killian Jones would lose Emma Swan forever.

He'd prepared himself for the return, his keys, phone and shoes were all waiting by the door along with a jacket that he'd need for his walk over to Robin's.  
However; he heard Emma's door close, but there was no sound to indicate a desperate pair of lovers racing to celebrate their impending union. There was no rattling headboard, or overly enthusiastic male groaning. There was in fact a lot of heavy silence. The door had closed, but Emma wasn't in her room.  
He considered going around there but decided to wait it out til morning.

Not for the first time, Killian struggled to fall asleep in his own bed, but for once it was due to an imposing silence opposed to an oppressive noise.

He knocked on her door the next morning, but got no reply.  
"Swan!" he called out wondering if she was just sleeping deeply, but still nothing.  
Wondering if his iwn ears had imagined her coming home alone last night, Killian returned to his apartment to get ready for work. When he left, the paper was still on her mat, so he could only assume his Swan was in fact not there.

By the evening however, the paper was gone, but still when he knocked the door remained firmly closed. He tried texting her at first, the messages not read, which was when he resorted to calling.  
Pressing an ear to the wall, he heard the phone ring, the sound of someone shuffling across the room and then...voicemail.

It was like a sledgehammer to the gut.  
Emma Swan, the love of his life, had not in fact vanished, instead she was simply avoiding _him._

~E&K~

For two months Killian suffered through the prolonged separation.  
Robin had told him that he'd heard from Regina, who heard from David, who got it from Mary-Margaret; that Emma had broken things off woth Walsh, though no one told him why; no one really knew.  
He knew that Emma hung out with the others, that she often went to Pizza and Movie nights at the Nolan's, one's they'd conveniently forgotten to invite him to.  
By the time they seemed to remember he existed and asked if he was on for game night, he knew well enough where he stood.  
Killian was the outsider now. He had no real tie to the group. David, M and Regina were all Emma's friends; Robin was allowed to be part of it as he was Regina's boyfriend.  
Killian however was expendable.

Perhaps they'd only tolerated him when Emma still liked him.  
Maybe Regina only let him into her home because Robin begged her to do it.  
Maybe he was well and truly alone now. 

His mind had decided this within a week and thus he had commenced his two months of exile.  
If they didn't want him, he would not force himself upon them.  
He worked harder, stayed out later, left earlier; anything to avoid interaction.  
For two months he did this, _two months,_ until the universe once again took pity on him and someone banged relentlessyl on his door.

"Killian Jones you better open up right now, or I swear to god I will break this door down."  
He was stunned where he sat on his couch.  
It felt like decades since he'd heard that voice and centuries more since he'd heard it with taht much passion.  
"I'm going to count to three and if this isn't open by the time I get there, you're going to have to explain to Grumpy why your door is hanging off its hinges. Okay? One...Two...Thr-"  
Killian strode across the room and threw open the barrier that stood between them.

It felt like he breathed for the first time in weeks when he finally saw Emma Swan again.  
She was standing there, eyes blazing, booted foot poised to kick and mouth still open from where he had interupted her mid-count  
"Swan," he exhaled, subconsciously reaching for her only to be met with a barrage of fists.

"Where. Have. You. Been?!" she yelled at him, driving him back with her words and punctuating each one with a hand smacking hard against his chest.  
"Two months Killian!" she screamed continuing her assault, "You disappear for two months, you could have been dead for all I knew! Where were you?"

To say he was confused was an understatement, so he just stood stupidly as Emma continued to hit him, each punch becoming weaker until her palms rested on his chest while she breathed heavily.

"I was doing what you wanted," he answered stiffly, the reality of the situation coming back to him.  
"What I-What do you mean what I wanted? Killian?"  
He took a deeo breath and, for the first time, he pushed Emma Swan away.  
"I tried to reach out to you Swan. That first day I knocked and I texted and I called, _you_ never answered and then suddenly you're all having nice friendly get togethers at the Nolan's nevermind Killian's not there it's not like he's a part of this group anymore, I'm sure he's doing just fine sitting holed up in his apartment, kept awake trying to figure out what the hell he did wrong!"

The whole well of emotions that he'd been keeping pent up seemed to spill out of him in that moment, washing like a tsunami over Emma who was forced to take a step back.  
"Killian-"  
"You didn't want me Emma, _none of you did,_ so do not come over here asking where I've been, because I am excatly where you left me." He turned around to face the rest of his home, trying to look anywhere but at her, that is until she spoke.

"Walsh proposed that night," she said softly, barely above a whisper, "He proposed and I said no."  
"Aye, well that much I had gathered from Robin; but I don't see how-"  
"I said no because I didn't love him."

Those four little words had Killian turning around faster than even he could have imagined.  
"You didn't-But I-I don't understand. You..."  
"Walsh," she began with a heavy sigh, "He was a nice enough guy...well he was until I turned him down, then he-"  
"Did he hurt you Emma," Killian interupted taking a step back towards her, checking her over, "I swear if that bastard lay a finger on you, I'll-"  
"He didn't hurt me Killian," she said, reaching up to run a soothing hand over his cheek, a touch that he simply couldn't help but to lean into. "Walsh was a decent guy and I'm sure I could have loved him with time but...he was never _it._ He was never the one I truly wanted to be with, he was just the man I used to kid myself into believing I wasn't already deeply and hopelessly in love with someone else."

They were toe to toe now, her eyes burning into his with such an intensity it felt as if she could see into his soul.  
"So if Walsh wasn't the one," he asked tentatively, "Then who is?"  
"Don't you know Killian," she said, standing on tip-toe to wrap her arms around his neck, "It's you."

With those two words, she sealed her lips over his whilst simultaneously sealing his fate and binding his soul to hers for all eternity.  
Killian moaned into her mouth, reaching up to lose his hands in her hair, cradling her face as he'd dreamed of doing so many times before.  
He kissed Emma Swan like he'd never kissed anyone else, and was determined to keep kissing her until the end of his days.

 **A/N: This changed drastically from what I first imagined. Originally Killian was going to be comforting Emma after a regular break-up, instead we got a boat load of angst and some switched up CS dialogue, still I hope you enjoyed and if you like, feel free to drop me a review.**


	4. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

**Prompt:** **"You're afraid that you'll lose me in big crowds so you always hold my hand but now you just hold my hand when there's only, like, five people around and I'm getting v** **e** **ry suspicious"**

 **Disclaimer: Nope**

 **I Wanna Hold Your Hand**

Here we have, for your reference, Killian Jones' Guide to having a good friendship with Emma Swan:

1)When hungry, make sure to feed Emma grilled cheese and onion rings (fries are unacceptable)

2)When it it the time of the month, provide warm blankets and Rocky Road ice cream.

3)When angry, take her to the park. She likes to feed the ducks.

4)When sad but denying it, under no circumstances must Emma be left alone.

5)When sad and accepting, blast 'Need You Now' on repeat.

6)When drunk, becomes quite handsy. Remain a gentlemen no matter what she gropes.

7)When tired, is exceptionally cuddly. If not cuddled becomes grouchy.

8)When irritated, allow her space, she will come back.

9)When she feels she isn't good enough, remind her that she is everything.

10)When out walking, DO NOT let go of her, she has no sense of direction and will get lost.

These were the ten rules that Killian used to maintain his healthy and happy relationship with Emma Swan. They had been best friends ever since high-school when Killian and his family had moved into the house next door to Ingrid Arendelle, adoptive mother to one Emma Swan.  
Ingrid also took care of her orphaned nieces; Elsa who was his brother's age and though she and Emma were close, the girl was nearing eighteen and didn't want to hang around with her fourteen year old kind of cousin. And then there was Anna who was twelve but acted much younger than her age, she was also far too extroverted for Emma's taste, so Killian moving in had been some sort of a godsend in Ingrid's eyes.

She'd essentially forced Emma out of the house and into spend time with Killian. At first it had just been them sitting in the front yard in silence, but eventually, coincidentally around the same time Killian kept Arthur King from destroying her homework at school; the two opened up, until they became virtually inseparable.

Every evening through Summer and Autumn, they sat under the tree in his backyard, working, doing nothing or talking about everything and anything. In the Winter and Spring, they migrated to in front of Ingrid's fireplace for both warmth and comfort, playing video games or breaking out Killian's guitar.  
Alone the two of them were shy, combined they were a force of nature and soon flourished at school, branching out and befriending along the way until they had a large collection of close friends.

To everyone else they would look like a strange combination. Belle, the bookworm, Robin, the Brit, Tink, the petite and mouthy Australian, David, the farm-boy, seemingly shy and retiring Mary-Margaret, eccentric Jefferson, loquacious Ruby Lucas, high-maintenance and wealthy Regina, Irish export Killian Jones and lost girl Emma Swan.  
Possibly the most eclectic group of individuals you would ever find, but somehow they made it work.  
It was a set of friendships built to last through high-school and into college.

Naturally there were certain developments, such as between David and Mary-Margaret and Robin and Regina; however, the dynamic remained mostly unchanged, minus the bouts of overly excessive pda.

One of the favourite topics to come up on a daily basis, was teasing Killian and Emma over their undying love for each other.  
The guys thought it was hilarious to rib Killian over his crush,while the girls entertained themselves at sleepovers trying to pull the truth about her feelings out of Emma.  
One group was successful; the other not so much.

Killian Jones, age nineteen, was without a doubt unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Emma Swan.  
There was no question in his mind about it.  
They'd met at fourteen, he'd had stirrings at fifteen, attempted to date other girls at sixteen, accepted that there would never be anyone else for him other than his best friend at seventeen.

This is why Killian had his list of the ten most important things to remember in regards to Emma.  
However, there was a very important eleventh rule that he refused to acknowledge.

When spending time with Emma Swan, do not admit that you love her. Your friendship is too important to risk.

Perhaps it was cowardice, or some shameful form of self-preservation; but Killian had been harbouring these feelings for two years and was not about to ruin the best thing to ever happen to him by screwing it up with his stupid feelings.  
The only moments he allowed himself to dream of something more, was when they ended up in a crowded space and he intertwined their fingers to stop Emma from wandering off.

His Swan had a tendency towards easy distraction, or getting caught up in her own head; normally it wasn't an issue, but the first time the two had gone out to the mall on a Saturday, Killian had moved on to the food-court thinking Emma was right behind him, only to realise she was gone, resulting in an hour and a half search to find her again.  
From then on, when they went to out whether it was to a party, a concert, a festival or just if they happened to be passing through a large crowd, Killian automatically reached back to grip Emma's hand, dragging her along beside him.

It was at those times, with Emma rolling her eyes and letting out a good-natured sigh before tightening her grip and tucking in closer, that Killian permitted his imagination to roam. Walking with her like that was, he knew, the closest he would ever get to appearing as if they were a real couple, the closest he would come to being the most important person in Emma's life.

He treasured those fleeting moments, savouring the warmth of his Swan, before sucking it up and pushing his feelings back down.

~E&K~

Emma Swan knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she quite possibly had the _worst_ sense of direction of any person to walk the earth. She was also very aware that she had an over active imagination that tended to drift at the worst of times; namely in places where there were huge amounts of people, which would easily swallow her up and leave her completely disorientated.  
For these reasons, she was very glad to have Killian Jones in her life.

Her sailor best friend was bound to always find her, and more often than not, that wasn't going to be a problem as he had adopted a tendency of just taking hold of her hand and steering her around.

She would never admit to anyone, not even M, Regina or Ruby, how her heart clench and her stomach flipped every time Killian's fingers slipped gently between hers.  
Emma tried to convince herself that it was natural for her body to react this way.  
Killian Jones was undoubtedly a fine specimen of the male species. Tousled dark hair, expressive brows, intense blue eyes, manicured scruff, broad shoulders into a toned chest that continued down into a trim stomach and narrow hips.  
She was extremely conscious of the female attention he got in bucket-loads whenever they went anywhere, and studiously ignored how her grip on him tightened and she edged further into his side.

They were friends.  
Sure she liked him _a lot,_ thought he was ridiculously attractive and had far more times than she could count, had very vivid fantasies of him crashing his lips against her with untamed passion; but, she refused to believe that it was anything more than that.  
She was a red-blooded woman, so naturally she would react to a man like Killian Jones, but he was her best-friend and under no circumstances could she risk that due to a lapse in control.  
Besides, Killian himself had given no indication that he wanted anything more between them.

Or so she thought.

~E&K~

It was the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.  
Normally Emma returned home to Maine, but this year Ingrid was using the holiday to take Anna and Elsa to visit some distant relatives that remained in Norway; and, since she wasn't related by blood, she didn't want to impose and opted out of the trip.  
Killian upon discovering this had told his mother that he would be staying at college as well to keep her company.  
Naturally, she had protested, but Killian had put his foot down, stating, _"I'm bloody Irish Swan, it's not even my holiday."_

At first she had grumbled, but he'd quickly plied her with cinnamon topped hot chocolate and a ridiculous plush Turkey wearing a Pilgrim's hat.

Campus had become a ghost town, hence why they were currently steering the bug into a practically deserted parking lot, seeking out something to do in the town centre.

Zipping up their coats and pulling on their beanies, the pair set off through the empty streets searching for something to do or somewhere to eat.

 _'Wait a second...',_ Emma thought, ' _empty streets'._

There was only one or two passers by, not a large and intimidating crowd insight; _and, therefore,_ there was absolutely no reason that Killian should be holding her hand right now.

Yet there it was.  
His long, calloused fingers, were tangled easily between her own; somehow arriving there without her even noticing.

She didn't know if Killian knew what he had done, but chose not to shake him off.  
Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she gently squeezed his palm, and he seemed to relax. The ever so slightly tense set of his shoulders dropping back into his normal ease.

 _Interesting.  
_

Perhaps Killian wasn't as immune to her as he assumed, maybe he was hopping a train out of the Friendzone and planning a trip to Relationship Station.  
Safe to say, from that weekend on, Emma paid very close attention to Killian's hand holding action.

~E&K~

He thought he was getting away with it, thought perhaps Emma hadn't picked up on the fact that he's taken to holding her hand in odd, distinctly crowd lacking, locations.

After Thanksgiving, when she hadn't pulled away from him, Killian became bolder; the not so little voice in his head egging him on, believing tha maybe this was a sign that Emma Swan might harbour secret affections for him.

His second move was made walking her back to her Campus apartment after they'd stayed out late studying in the library.  
It was sometime after midnight and they'd been strolling along, chatting idly, and he'd ever so carefully reached out to clasp her hand.  
He held his breath, but Emma never faltered in her train of conversation so he gripped a little tighter and carried on walking.

The third time was over Winter Break.  
A new movie came out that she had been _just dying to see,_ and so, the ever diligent best friend he was, Killian had paid for their tickets and treated her to a night of fantasy, action, adventure and popcorn.  
It was cold when they left, their breath coming out before their eyes, and typically, neither of them had thought to bring gloves.  
He'd watched as Emma's hands turned red and trembled, waiting only a couple of minutes before taking one to try and warm it up, the other he left for her to jam into her jacket pocket.  
Again she'd continued her in-depth analysis of the movie; although seemed to edge slightly closer into his warmth.

So yeah; he thought he was getting away with it.  
It wasn't until his fourth attempt he realised how wrong he had been.

~E&K~

It was New Years Eve, just to add to the whole drama of the situation.

He, Emma, David, Mary-Margaret, Robin, Regina, Ruby, Tink, Belle and Jefferson; had decided to cut out early from the party they'd been at, instead choosing to climb the hill in the park in order to watch the fireworks that would be set off on the other side of town.

There was just the ten of them there. Ten most definitely not amounting to a crowd, but yet he couldn't help himself as they followed the path towards the hill, to reach over and twine his fingers with Emma's.  
He knew he was busted when she stopped and allowed everyone else to walk on ahead of them.

"Why do you do that?" She demanded, whirling around to look him in the eye.  
"Do what, love?" Killian replied, trying to sound as innocent as possible. Not that she was buying it.  
"You've always held my hand to stop me getting lost in large, crowded places," she elaborated, "Yet suddenly, we're alone together or with a small group and I find that you're holding my hand anyway. Why?"

Her gaze was penetrating, searching the very depths of his soul for answers, making him reach up to scratch behind his ear.  
"I don't know what you mean Swan."  
"Bullshit Jones," she shot back, "You know exactly what you're doing and you keep doing it so I wanna know-"  
He sensed the rejection coming and hastened to cut her off to spare the last bit of his pride, _and_ his heart.  
"I didn't realise it bothered you that much Swan. I won't do it again."

To make his point, he dropped her hand, which he'd somehow still been holding, and sped off in the direction of the others.  
He'd only made it half-way up the hill when she caught up; grabbing his elbow and running around to stand in front of him, using the sloped ground to her advantage and looking him dead in the eye.  
"Hey," she said softly, "I never said that it bothered me, I just want to know why you do it."  
"Are you really telling me that you don't know Emma?" he said, voice edged with frustration at himself and partly at her for being so blind to him.

"Do you not see how much I care for you?"  
"Of course I-"  
"In a _non-friend_ capacity," Killian clarified, making her freeze, giving him a moment to take a lengthy inhale before baring himself to her.  
"Emma Swan," he sighed, "For the past two years I have had the most ridiculous crush on you and it would've been a lot longer if I could just admit how I felt about you to myself when we were fifteen. You are my first thought in the morning and you haunt my dreams at night. Every day, I remind myself that you don't see me like that and force back those emotions, holding your hand was the one small joy I allowed myself. The short moments I could use to kid myself into believing you actually felt the same way. _Obviously,_ that was a ridiculous notion and I-"

Emma, who had been shaking her head in bewilderment and exasperation over her adorably awkward sailor, quickly cut him off by finally cutting off the fool part of herself that said it was stupid, and pressed her lips against his.

"Stop talking," she mumbled against his mouth, reaching up to slide a hand through his mess of hair, "You are an idiot Killian Jones to ever believe that after so long of you being the most special person in my life, the one I love more that anyone except maybe Ingrid, that I am indifferent to you."  
"Swan-" he tried to mumble.  
"Ah, ah. I said no talking; only kissing."

Killian seemed to hesitate for a moment, before a desperate groan ripped from his body and he all but pounced on her.

Emma was knocked back with the force of it, sending the two sprawling onto the ground behind them, yet their lips never broke contact.  
Only the fireworks and their friends cheers broke them apart.

"Happy New Year Killian," Emma whispered gazing up into his love filled eyes.  
"Happy New Year Emma," he replied, before diving back in to kiss her again.

 **A/N: The streak continues, here is some fluff for you. Thinking of doing a Soulmates AU next or Actors who are secretly dating but pretend to hate each other kind of thing.  
Let me know what you think.  
Thank you for reading my loves.**


	5. Late Nights and Flashing Lights

**A/N: This is a big one guys, 6.5k, also possibly one my favourite one shot that I've ever written, so please enjoy.**

 **Prompt: 'c** **elebrities dating in secret' au**

 **Disclaimer: In the words of Whitney Houston; I have nothing.**

 **Late Nights and Flashing Lights**

If you had asked Emma Swan five years ago if she ever believed she'd be a Golden Globe nominated actress, she would have laughed in your face and told you to ease off of whatever it was you were drinking.  
Five years ago, Emma Swan was waiting tables in a diner in Maine to pay her crappy agents bill.  
Five years ago, Emma Swan thought that her dream of becoming an actress was just that; _a dream.  
_ Yet, four years ago, Emma had landed a small role that made a big impact, ditched her old agent, quit her job and picked up anew in Los Angeles under the infamous eye of Regina Mills.

For some reason, one of Hollywood's top managers had seen something in Emma that no one had looked at before. She saw the potential for stardome and was quick to snatch it up.  
Three years ago, Emma was cast as a secondary character in an action block-buster.  
Two years ago, she was the main love interest in the biggest rom-com of the year.  
Just under one year ago, she was now the leading actress in a huge fantasy adventure, a film that was taking the box-office by storm, breaking records left, right and centre.  
This lead to now, five years on from scraping every penny, to the week leading up to what could possibly be her first major acting award.

It was everything she had ever wished for and more; _and,_ it came with an added bonus.

That bonus was named Killian Jones; Hollywood heart-throb, one time Oscar winner, voted GQ's Sexiest Man Alive two years in a row.

At just twenty-six, his star had risen even faster than Emma's.  
Coming out of nowhere, an export from Ireland, he stormed onto the silver-screen as a supporting actor, yet won the public's hearts by completely stealing the show.  
That one fairly mediocre film had been enough to display his talent, and suddenly Killian Jones was the hottest thing on the market.

He'd shocked the world when he won his Oscar at twenty-four years old, beating off the likes of Damon, Pitt and DiCaprio (who still hadn't won at that point)  
He had the looks, he had the talent, he was adored by everyone.  
Gossip rags had tried to trash him, but Killian Jones was clean, possibly the most decent actor on the West Coast; no secret kids, no scandalous affairs, no history of tax evasion. He was, as many would say, _'one of the best and most kind people you could ever happen to meet.'_

And despite all that he had going for him; he had chosen to be with Emma.

She'd just about died the first time they met. Her inner fan-girl coming tearing to the surface when they bumped into each other at the Oscar's after party, the one after his big win.  
Regina had somehow managed to get her in and she was collecting drinks for her and her actress best-friend Mary-Margaret Blanchard (who was famed for her live action fairy-tales) when she'd turned and collided with someone, managing to poor the contents of both glasses on them at the same time.

"I am so sorry," Emma shrieked, reaching blindly for some napkins to dab at the strangers chest, "I wasn't looking where I was going and I've probably just ruined your thousand dollar suit, _which I will absolutely pay for_ by the way, I just-"  
"Don't worry about it love," the smooth, _familiar,_ accented voice had interrupted.  
It was the same voice Emma had heard giving a very passionate acceptance speech just a few hours ago.

Cringing to herself, she glanced up and, _as she had guessed,_ came face to face with Killian Jones.  
The dying part came when he said:  
"You're Emma Swan aren't you? I saw you in Booth's action flick, the man missed an opportunity by not giving you more screen time, you are a hugely talented actress."

She was almost certain her jaw had hit the floor, if anything, she was definitely gaping at him like a stunned fish.  
Here was the publicly voted sexiest man on the planet, complimenting her on her tiny little role after she'd just spilt two fruity concoctions all down his crisp white shirt.  
"Thank you," she eventually managed to say, although it came out as more of an awed gasp, "You of course don't need an introduction Mr Oscar Winner.  
 _Wait was that flirting? Was she honestly flirting with Killian Jones?_

If the tiniest smirk curling the corner of his very kissable mouth was any indication, the answer was definitely yes, and she now had a zero chance of hoping that perhaps he hadn't noticed.  
"It still feels like a dream, one that I really don't want to wake up from right about now."

Emma's heart seemed to beat a tattoo against her ribs because _hell yes,_ Killian Jones had just flirted back with her.

She was about to make a comeback when Mary-Margaret appeared at her elbow.  
"Emma there you ar, you've been gone for ages, I was practically dehydrating over there- Oh, hi Killian."

She was fairly certain she gave herself whiplash with how quickly she turned to face her friend.  
How had it never come up that she was on a first name basis with this man.  
"Hey M&M," Killian responded eagerly ( _Make that a nick-name basis.)_ "I didn't know you were here tonight."  
Mary-Margaret just shrugged, "Regina's work, not that that matters now. What have you been up to, David's been unbareable with how long it's been since you two went training together."

 _That would explain it,_ Emma thought.  
Killian Jones was also very well known for his exceptionally close friendship with his past co-star, David Nolan; a.k.a: Mary-Margaret's boyfriend.  
The two had starred alongside each other as a kind of comic duo in a fantasy film; one that Emma may or may not have watched several times due to the shirtless sword fighting scene between Killian and a load of bad-guys who had caught him unawares.  
The two men had been incredibly close ever since, often showing up in the tabloids as 'Hollywood's Hottest Bromance.'

"Where is Dave?" Killian queried, his voice breaking Emma from her train of thought.  
"He got some kind of flu virus up in Vancouver, he's been banned from leaving the bed."  
Emma watched as Killian's smirk broadened, no doubt planning some way to harass his best-friend, before it settled back into a more gentle smile as he looked once more to where she was standing glasses still clutched in her hands.  
"You must allow me to get you fresh drinks, can't have M here dehydrating."  
"Isn't it an open bar?" Emma queried, ignoring the sharp elbow from her friend at her rudeness.  
"Perceptive lass," said Killian, his eyes twinkling, "Surely though, it is the thought that counts."

With that, he turned back, easily catching the barman's attention and having two new cocktails in their hands far faster than Emma had managed it.  
He looked as if he was about to say something else, when somebody called to him from across the room; she should have known they wouldn't be able to keep him for long.  
"If you could excuse me ladies."  
There was almost a sorrowful note to voice, as if he was unwilling to leave, or maybe that was just Emma projecting.

She turned to follow Mary-Margaret back to their table, when her name being called stopped her.

Killian Jones was jogging back over to her, skidding to a halt and pressing something into her hands.  
"In case you'd ever like to chat again," he'd breathed, before quickly kissing her on the cheek and dashing back off to whomever had stolen his attention.

Her fingertips grazed the piece if skin where his lips had just been, while she glanced down at the object in her hand.  
It was a napkin.

A napkin with his name and number along side a hasty line drawing of a swan.  
When he'd made it she had no idea, but she was sincerely glad that he had.

~E&K~

Two years on, Emma had never been more happy about doing something in her life, than she was about finding the guts to call that number.  
 _Sure,_ it had taken her about two weeks to do it, but the point was that she did and it lead her to here.

Having made that call, she'd somehow ended up at Killian's house for a private lunch.  
Once he'd opened the door, she'd shoved a bag into his arms.  
Looking confused, he had reached inside, pulling out a new white shirt. She swore she had fallen in love with his laughter that day, because he must have stood clutching his stomach for a good two minutes before sobering up to look her in the eye.  
"Emma Swan," he had sighed, "You are a marvel."

After that, they'd had the best lunch of her entire life. A lunch that had turned into coffee, into the two of them cooking dinner together in his kitchen, because they'd gotten so caught up in conversation, the time to eat came around again quicker than either could anticipate.  
He didn't kiss her when she left, although she culd tell he wanted to; so that, when she invited him over to hers to watch a movie, the first thing she had done when he had gotten inside was throw her arms around his neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

That was two years ago, and here they still were, the secret couple that Hollywood didn't know about. Going on private dates in each others homes or sneaking away on secluded holiday's making sure they remained out of the eye of the paparazzi.

It had been a mutual agreement between the two.  
Killian didn't want to expose her to his media circus of a life, when the press would instantly degrade her into some gold-digging wannabe, using Killian's fame to crawl her way up the ladder. Equally, Emma had wanted to make a name for herself, rather than just be Killian Jones' girlfriend.

And so they'd kept it quiet.  
Regina knew of course, as did Killian's manager Robin; as both would need to be aware of the relationship if a situation were to ever arise. Contracted relationships weren't a big secret in the circuit, and someone like Killian would be a popular choice; it had to be clear that he was unavailable.  
Mary-Margaret and David knew, only because it would be impossible to keep it from them as the respective best-friends of the couple. Aside from that, there was only Killian's brother Liam, who most definitely would not be an issue.

For two years they lived in bliss, a seemingly never ending honey-moon phase undisturbed by the eyes of the world; although, all of that changed in the week before the Golden Globes.

~E&K~

Emma was having a terrible day; really there was no other way to describe it.

It had started with waking up alone in her own bed, because Killian had a late night photo-shoot for his newest film. She'd managed to spill her morning coffee all over herself, which then made her late for brunch.  
Brunch, she didn't even want to talk about it had been such a horrendous affair.  
She'd tried to pick herself up with the thought that Killian was coming over that evening, but a four hour dress fitting and jewellery selection sucked the life right out of her.

She realised she must sound like the most ungrateful person in the whole world.  
Not everyone got to be where she was now, and here _she was_ complaining about the woes of an in demand actor's life. But sometimes, it just got to be too much all at once, leaving her longing for the nights when she could curl into Killian's side, letting his presence and kisses push the frustration away.

She wished she could just force the clock to read eight already, although it seemed determined to fight back, the time dragging and extending itself just to annoy her.

Eventually, Emma gave up staring at the wall and tried to make the hours pass more quickly by catching up on some reading and the TV shows that she'd missed while still doing interviews for her film which had been out for a couple of weeks now.  
It was after an episode of Outlander, that the long anticipated knock on her door came.

Practically sprinting across the apartment, she threw the door open and immediately flung herself at Killian.  
"Thank god you're here," she sighed, breathing in his spicy scent, "I've just had the worst day."  
"Aye, I know what you mean lass," he replied, very stiffly, which was when Emma noticed that his hands were barely touching her waist, and that his head was turned to one side rather than buried in her hair like it usually was.  
"Killian," she tested, "Are you-"  
"Fine Emma. I'm fine."

He was lying.  
She knew that he was lying, and she knew that he knew that she knew he was lying.  
But she lied to her anyway.

"O-Kay," Emma said. If something was bothering him, he'd tell her eventually, "Well, would you like to pick up iZombie, see how Tink and Vic are doing; it's been a while since we've been up to date?"  
Her only reply was a shrug and a muttered _'sure'_ as he brushed past her, chucking his jacket over one of the kitchen stools and sinking down onto the couch; he never made a move to take his shoes off, a clear sign that something was wrong, and that it was a problem that he thought he was going to need to run from.

Her heart faltered as tiny demons in her head started questioning his every move, telling her to push him away and run, doing it first, breaking him before he could break her.  
But Emma forcefully pushed the voices aside.

It was Killian, he would never do that to her, even if he left today he'd be back tomorrow, it's just the way they were.

When they had fought in the past, she was the drama queen who would shut herself away for days at a time before inevitably ending up outside his door and back in his arms. Killian was always far easier to forgive and forget. When he got angry, it would be a long walk of about an hour before he came back, enough time to clear his head before coming back to her place and apologising for leaving in the first place.  
They couldn't run away from each other, it simply wasn't in them, they'd just go on jogging excursions before coming straight back home.

Ignoring the tension in the air, Emma powered up Netflix and moved to the opposite end of the couch.  
No matter how much she craved his comfort right now, she would in no way push herself upon him when there was something lingering from today that had him worked up into such a state.  
She settled in for the next forty minutes, trying to lose herself in her friend Tink's acting, as she took on whatever personality from the brain that she had eaten; but she found that she couldn't concentrate, not as Killian's shoulders continued to stiffen and his hand tapped a staccato rhythm against his leg.

Forty minutes was all it took for the dam to break and Emma to ask;  
"Okay, what the hell is going on?"

Never before had Killian Jones looked at her with such pain and betrayal in his eyes.  
"You're seriously telling me you don't know?" he whispered darkly, hinting at the storm which was probably raging in his head.  
"No I _seriously_ don't, so if you would care to enlighten me that would be delightful."  
Her defences were coming up now and she could see his hackles rise in response as he spat out the answer to her question.  
"So you don't remember waking up yesterday in my arms, telling me how much you loved me, but then today openly kissing another man in some secluded little cafe?!"

His voice was like thunder, the anger and anguish lashing out like lightning as he rose from the couch, towering above her in his rage.  
Unfortunately, if Emma had not been an actress, she woukd definitely have been a storm chaser.

 _She knew that that brunch would come back to bite her in the ass._

 _She'd promised to meet up with Graham Humbert, who had worked alongside her in her globe nominated performance. The two had formed a good friendship over the months of filming and he had wanted to take her out to celebrate the coming to a close of the endless media stream.  
At first, things had been perfectly normal, then pair of them laughing over old mishaps and pranks that had been pulled on the crew, when, all of a sudden, Graham leaned over the table and pressed his lips against hers._

 _There had been a two second period of shock in which Emma didn't react, before shoving him off of her and standing up.  
She'd stalked out of that restaurant ignoring Graham as he ran along behind her, because how dare he just up and kiss her out of nowhere, especially in public where there was undoubtedly someone with a camera waiting to capture the moment. He had no right, especially since she had given no indication that she felt anything other than friendship towards him.  
Emma had marched straight to her car, slamming the door before he could stop her, and driving very quickly away._

"You and your _'good friend'_ Graham, are all over the internet right about now, so don't tell me you don't know," Killian spat as, as if it were on cue, her cell starting blasting Regina's ringtone. Her manager probably wanting to know what the hell was going on right now.  
"Killian-" she tried to say, but he'd opened the floodgates now and all his fear, anger and insecurities came flooding out.

"I know we agreed to keep this a secret Emma," he began, "I know you needed to establish your place here before we could reveal that we were together. But just because it was a secret, doesn't mean that I didn't think we were exclusive."  
"Killian, if I could just-"  
"For two years now, I have done nothing but love and support you, I have given you every part of me: soul, body and mind; and, I was foolish enough to believe I was getting the same in return. Clearly, all the work you put into keeping us under wraps must have made it that much easier to hide Graham!"  
"Killian," she was crying now, his name coming out like a broken plea.

"You are everything to me Emma Swan, you are enough to make me happy for the rest of my life; I'm just sorry that I couldn't be enough for you."

His final statement was said with such dejection, an admission of his own defeat that rooted Emma to the spot as he turned quickly and left her apartment, the door sharing his loss of fight as it closed with a soft click, rather than the harsh bang she had been expecting.

Emma's knees gave out, and she collapsed on the floor under a tidal wave of sobs because, if there was anything in the world that felt more like a goodbye, it was Killian's last words before he left.

~E&K~

She didn't know how long she stayed curled up on the wooden floorboards, didn't know how long she cried for as the world slowly fell apart at the seams. She only knew that when the time came for her to pick herself up, she went straight to her phone and dialled the only person one could call in a situation like this.

"Emma Swan you-!"  
"Regina!" Emma yelled, cutting off her manager before the tirade could begin, "I need you."  
"I am well aware Miss Swan," was the harsh response, "I have the phone ringing off the hook and Robin in one ear screaming abuse at me, but none of us can figure out what the hell is going on!"  
"It's not...It's not..." the tears were coming back now, "I didn't...I-I...Oh God! Regina please, you have to fix this, it's all a mistake and Killian's gone and he can't be gone because I need him, I need him so much. God Regina, please, please just fix this."

She sounded like an utter wreck to her own ears, something that must have transferred over the phone, because Regina's voice softened.  
"Okay Emma," she said gently, "Let me get Robin on the line and you can explain to us what happened."

She wanted to cry out in relief, but instead settled, for sitting down on a stool, only then noticing Killian's jacket was still there.  
Not caring what it would look like, she drew the piece of clothing around her, inhaling deeply to get a whiff of that leather, rum and spice scent that was just all Killian.  
"Miss Swan," Robin's cold voice cut into her musings, "You have exactly ten seconds to explain what I'm seeing here. If I don't like what you say, you can forget asking for my help in getting Killian to ever speak to you again."

And so she spoke.  
It was definitely longer than ten seconds but she explained everything, how she hadn't seen the kiss coming, how it had been totally one-sided on Graham's behalf, how she had walked out the instant it had occurred.  
"I would never do this to Killian, Robin," she begged, "I love him so much, I couldn't ever hurt him like this I swear. You have to believe me please."

It was silent for a long moment before Robin spoke again.

"Regina," he said, the cool, professional, 'I have a plan' voice coming into action, "These are proper pap photos, not just some kid on his phone. This means they almost definitely got shots of what happened afterwards, but picked the shots that would cause the most drama. If we threaten this company for unlawfully releasing pictures of Emma, because you have that contract about all personal shots going through you first; we can have them release the ones of Emma walking out, showing that it was just a ploy for public attention."

Emma wanted to run all the way down to Robin's office in that instant to fling her arms around the man and sing his praises.  
"Of course," came her managers response, the plotting tone evident, "There's nothing these people hate more than a law suit. Time to let the Evil Queen stretch her legs. Give me fifteen minutes Miss Swan, half an hour at most, and pictures of you rejecting Humbert will be trending on Twitter and turned into a Meme."

The Evil Queen was a nickname bestowed upon Regina years ago, due to her ruthless nature when it came to negotiations. It had been a while since she had needed to be unleashed.

"Thank you both so much," Emma sighed, "I'll leave you to it, but Robin, if-"  
"If I hear from Killian, I'll be sure to direct him your way Emma," he cut her off, the warm and kind man she was familiar with resurfacing, "He'll come back, he always does. That man is ridiculously in love with you, it's not in his nature to stay away."  
"I know, I know. I love him too," she breathed, before hanging up and taking a moment just to breath in Killian's jacket again.

~E&K~

After gathering herself, Emma set up her laptop on the kitchen island, repeatedly refreshing the News-feed waiting for the change.

Regina had surpassed herself, as not ten minutes later she came face to face with her own angry expression, storming out of that little cafe an apologetic Graham chasing after her.  
She felt a tinge of guilt for the shit-storm that was about to come his way, but it was pushed aside by the overwhelming need to know if Killian was okay.

It was just after ten o'clock. He'd been gone for an hour, meaning, if this had been a normal fight he would be on his way back to her by now.  
But ten soon turned into eleven, which turned into twelve.  
There was no knock on her door, no text on her phone, no indication from Robin whether he'd heard from him or not.  
It was a complete radio-silence, and, to top it all off, it had started to rain.

She sat by her window, over-looking the city; a cup of slightly cooled hot-chocolate in her hand and her phone at her feet.  
It was half past midnight, a call downstairs confirmed that his car was still in the parking garage, which meant Killian was out there, walking the streets in only his t-shirt.  
The image of him freezing to death on some park bench drove Emma to action.

She grabbed the first pair of shoes she could find, pulling out an umbrella and pocketing her keys and phone.

 _She had to find him._

Grabbing the door handle, Emma was ready to race out, when, _in a strange sense of deja-vu.,_ she collided with a cold, rain-soaked chest.

She didn't have to look up to know who it was, but her eyes went anyway, locking instantly with his and trying to read what was there.  
It was a maelstrom of anguish, sorrow, love and a plea for forgiveness; all topped off with blue lips and dripping strands of hair falling across his forehead and trailing down his trembling arms.  
 _"Oh, Killian,"_ she murmured, bracing herself as he ploughed into her.

She managed to catch him as he crumbled. His arms locking round her waist as his face burrowed into the crook of her neck as his shoulders shook.  
"Oh, Killian," she repeated, clinging onto him just as tightly, trying desperately to use her own body to warm his.

Ever so slowly, she eased them backwards into the main room, closing the door behind him, and depositing him gently on the couch.  
His head tilted up so he could meet her gaze, blue eyes seeming to drink her in as his body continued to shudder in a combination of cold and tears.  
Emma turned swiftly away, preparing to find a towel or something to dry him off, when the same strong set of arms caught her around the middle and prevented her from leaving.

Killian drew her in between his legs and pressed his face firmly against her stomach, where she could feel the long exhale he released.  
Allowing herself to breath again for the first time that night, Emma began to run her fingers through his sopping hair, ignoring how wet it made her hands, focusing on how he seemed to sink further into her.  
"I'm sorry," she heard him mumble against her abdomen, "I'm so sorry Emma, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm-"  
"Shh, ssh, ssh," she soothed, pushing him back with her hands, "You have nothing to apologise for."

He tried to shake his head, which was difficult considering she still held it between her hands.  
"I left," he said, "I left you here alone."  
"But you came back, you came back for me Killian."  
"I'll always come back for you Swan. _I love you._ "

He'd said it to her yesterday, but at that moment it felt like it had been centuries.

Allowing the tears to once again prick at her eyes, Emma sank down into his lap, straddling his legs and brushing a tender kiss across his lips.  
"I love you too," she breathed, " _So much._ I love you so much Killian Jones."  
"I know Swan, I know; it's just...seeing you with Humbert, it was too much like Milah."

 _Milah, of course. She should have known._

Killian's first love when he was heading to Hollywood, before his star shot to the top. Milah Sagara, _now Gold_ , whom he had given himself over to, only for her to leave him after a six month affair she'd been having with another man.  
He'd told her about it when they were still getting to know each other, on a late night over several glasses of rum; spoken of the complete desolation he'd felt after she'd left, how he'd focused all his energy on acting to try and forget the heart-ache.

How Emma had forgotten she didn't know.  
Killian always knew when her mind wandered back to the scars that Neal left, yet in his time of need, she couldn't see how much it would break him to believe the woman who taught him to love again was just another cheat.

" _Oh my god,"_ she sobbed, " _I'm such an idiot._ Killian I would never- _could never,_ do what she did to you. You are everything to me and I'm so sorry I made you think you weren't enough, because you absolutely are. You are so much more than I deserve Killian Jones, and I honestly don't know why you've stuck around for as long as you have."

"Hush Swan," he reprimanded, drawing her further in, to curl onto his lap, "That's nonsense. Why would I ever leave you my love."  
" _Killian,"_ she whined, "You're getting me all wet."  
"I love when you talk dirty to me Swan," he breathed against her ear, earning him a slap to the chest.  
She knew then that they would be fine, that with a dirty comment and a snort of laughter, the man she loved had returned to her; so she ignored his damp clothing and snuggled into him.

They stayed that way for a while, ignoring the clock's indication that they should surrender to the early morning tiredness that shrouded their bodies, choosing to savour the feeling of just being together.  
It was coming up to two a.m. When Emma finally broke the peaceful silence.  
"I don't want to hide anymore," she whispered against the skin of his throat, feeling his questioning hum reverberate through him, "This nomination is a symbol of what I've made for myself. I've proven to be a great actress by my own terms, not just by using high-powered connections, my own skill, merit and talent has got me here, and so I don't want to hide this anymore."

Killian leaned back slightly so he could meet her eyes, "Are you saying-"  
" _What I'm saying is..._ be my date to the Golden Globes?"  
He didn't answer with words.  
He didn't need to.  
The growl that came before me attacked her lips with a fiery passion was all the response she needed.

~E&K~

She walked the red-carpet in a slinky, strapless, navy blue gown.  
She was not unaware that Killian had on a gorgeous suit of almost identical colouring, but the two hadn't arrived together.  
They'd talked to their managers who said to save it for the press afterwards; don't steal the show before its even begun.  
So she walked alone, minus the men assigned to watch her and the woman whose job it was to fix her dress for photo opportunities, and for a few moments she'd been with Mary-Margaret; the two of them posing together before the big Golden Globes statues.

They were hustled inside and she finally managed to catch a glance of Killian.  
As an un-nominated actor, he would be sitting in a different section, hence why he was far away from her beside David, the pair of them laughing at what was probably a terrible joke.  
He looked up then, glancing over his mate's shoulder and catching her eye.  
His jaw dropped a little as he took her in, the look on his face making her blush, before he quickly recovered and shot her a knowing wink.

Emma scouted out where he was sitting once she'd been directed to her own seat.  
He was unmissable to her, a few rows back beside Dave, M and Robin. It must have been some act of fate that they were right by the cameras on the aisle, either that or they were set up near all the friends of potential recipients in case they won.  
She had momentarily forgotten why she was actually there, only when the ceremony began did the nerves kick in.

This was her chance, her first shot at a major award and she was more than a shoe-in over the others. Regina had stated that if she didn't win, she'd eat one of her Jimmy Choos.  
Yet as each category came and went, the butterflies in her stomach increased in number and those bastard voices in her head told her she was stupid for believing that she stood a chance.

"And your nominees for Best Actress are..."  
 _God,_ she'd been so caught up in her own head she hadn't even noticed f _ucking Meryl Streep_ announcing her section.  
The names were rattled off with clips of the films in the background, her own face suddenly taking over the big screen as she fought off bad guys and monsters in a set of leather pants.  
"The winner of Best Actress is.."  
There was silence as the envelope was opened; she could feel the camera locked onto her face as Meryl leaned down towards the mic,

"Emma Swan!"

There was a long moment before all the noise in the room came flooding back.  
The deafening roar of the crowd as she sat for a moment before Regina forced her up and she made the unbelievable trip down the aisle, up the stairs and onto the stage.  
Meryl Streep kissed her cheek, handing over the statue, before backing off so she could make her speech.

"Um...wow," she managed to get out, earning a laugh from the room, "I was definitely not expecting this especially going up against some of the most talented ladies in the industry."  
The speech Regina had _made_ her write and rehearse came flooding back.  
"What most people don't know is that five years ago, I was an adult orphan, saving every penny I had by waiting tables in some tiny town up in Maine. Never did I think I could make it here, which should just go to show everybody that anything is possible, no matter how bad the situation seems; if you work hard enough and dream big enough, you can do anything.  
I for one would not be here tonight if it wasn't to the only family I have ever known, the one I made for myself here in L.A.  
To my manager Regina Mills, I owe everything, because she was the one who gave me a chance in the first place. My best-friend Mary-Margaret who saw me through my first movie despite how much I felt like I was messing it up. David Nolan, who pushes me in training harder than anyone else; he's probably the reason I was able to lift those damn heavy swords."

Another laugh from the crowd and a deep breath from Emma.

"Most of all though," she said, tears starting to clog her throat as the emotions hit, "There is one individual who has supported me through everything; every choice, every role, every success and every failure. Without them I would not be who I am, or where I am today. So my biggest thank you has to go to my boyfriend who has stuck with me for the past two years; I love you Killian."

The shock was tangible as it rippled across the room, every camera whirling to lock on Killian, who was smiling at her with so much pride in his eyes as he mouthed  
 _'I love you too',_ and blew a kiss in her direction.  
The applause was huge as she left the stage and the talk coming afterwards as everyone tried to figure out how they'd managed to keep themselves a secret.  
She found it easy to ignore as she was taken backstage before making her way back to Regina, who smirked at her, a smug expression on her face as everyone else stared.

~E&K~

As Emma made her way back out onto the red-carpet, award in hand, the clamour of the reporters was insane as they all tried to get her attention and ask about her relationship.

She simply smiled and posed for the pictures, brushing off the yells until she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her from behind, and a voice whispering in her ear.  
"Congratulations Swan," Killian said, the joy in his voice threatening to overflow as he moved around to face her. "I told you you could do it."  
"Really," she huffed, with an exasperated smile, "I just get the biggest award of my career so far, and all you can say is _'I told you so?'_ "

Killian chuckled before tugging on her hand so that she collided gently with his chest.  
"How about...I love you Emma Swan," he stated, the truth of it burning in his eyes and lighting up his smile.  
"Eh," Emma shrugged, "It will do."

She shrieked then as he lifted her into the air, pressing his lips fervently against her in a kiss that was surely for the ages.

 _Yeah..._ the press would definitely have something to say about _that_ tomorrow.

 **A/N: Oh my days it's done. I have had so much fun writing this mini monster and I hope you have as much fun reading it. If you do (even if you don't) drop me a review if you wish, I love hearing from you guys.  
Stay gorgeous lovelies.**


	6. I Wanna Dance With Somebody

**Prompt: my best friend has a popular youtube channel and drags me into their videos and  
people comment on how we seem like a couple isn't that awkward au**

 **In other words this is my 'I watched lots of dance shows lately and need a dancer fic' au**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own ouat or any characters.**

 **I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)**

Emma wasn't entirely certain when or how she became 'Youtube famous', all she knows was that it started with Ruby daring her to make a channel. Dance was her passion, so sharing it with a few people who would happen upon her videos seemed like a good idea. Except that a few passers-by turned into over a million describers tuning in either for her lessons, or videos of her dancing. It was crazy how many people seemed to love what she did, so much so that she had performed at conventions all over the world, which is more than she could have ever hoped for. Commercial dancing is a tough business, many struggle to make it anywhere and Emma happened to have been one of the few that got lucky. 

Her videos had started off mostly as solo work, with a few group pieces thrown in. Her trio with Regina and Mary-Margaret had drawn huge praise; the twisted fairytale piece was a fan favourite and the two were more than happy to follow Emma to cons across the country in order to perform. But still, as time went on, fans began asking her about paired work. Whenever she posted a picture with one of her guy friends, people always hoped that it was a teaser for some new partnered piece that she had in the works.  
Queue, her series of duos with Killian Jones. 

Emma had met Killian in University when he joined her dance troupe. On first inspection, she hadn't thought much. Of course he was strikingly handsome, with dark hair, stubble and killer blue eyes; but he also came across as quiet and shy. Compared to the other male dancers, who were all loud and brash, Killian was very much in the background. Emma didn't really pay him much attention until the teacher made him solo.

 _He was flawless._

Every step that he made moved fluidly into the next, seemingly effortless. Gone was his wall-flower persona, on the floor he was confident, bordering on cocky, as he ran his hands over his body and winked to the women.  
After that she paid far more attention to Killian Jones and made an effort to include him in conversation and invite him out with everyone else. Like her fame, she can't really pinpoint the moment he became her person, suddenly he just was. So, naturally, it was Killian that she turned to as the pleas finally overwhelmed her.

She choreographed a duet for them based off of Will and Elizabeth from Pirates of the Caribbean (one of his favourite movies) and it had instantly smashed the record for her most amount of views. The fans adored it, begging Emma to bring him back again and well...who was she to refuse.  
Her following fell even more in love with him when she pulled him into one of her teaching videos. Apparently, Killian was 'like really super adorable' when he blushed at having to hold her close with a camera trained on him, not that she hadn't noticed that before.

Emmillian or Captain Swan, that was what they took to calling them after the whole pirates thing. The fans had somehow got it through their heads that with Killian's frequent appearances on her channel, the two of them had to be dating.

~E&K~

"So..." Emma said as she plopped herself down on the couch beside him, having let herself into his apartment, "The ducklings have been missing you, fancy giving a girl a hand."

Killian looked at the woman beside him, prepared to for once in his life hold out for more than thirty seconds; but one glance at her pouted lip and puppy dog eyes and he was done for.  
"The things I do for you Swan," he sighed, heart fluttering as she beamed.  
"You're the best!" Emma squealed, grabbing the TV remote from his hand whilst snuggling into his side. It was torture of the most beautiful and painful kind, having his best friend and the woman he loved curled warmly against him whilst not being able to express the romantic feelings he was harbouring.

"So what will it be then love?"He queried, fingers stroking through her hair in the way that never failed to make her hum with content, "A bit of street? Charleston maybe?"  
"I was thinking something more along the lines of a contemporary rhumba. Regina showed me this slowed version of Bad Romance and I've been dying to use it, you've given me the perfect excuse."  
"Glad to be of assistance," he mumbled thinking of the pure torture that was awaiting him. Why did it have to be a rhumba, of all the dances in the world she chose a rhumba, the sexy one when he would undoubtedly have to hold her close, trying to maintain some semblance of control while her body moved against his.

Yeah...he was royally fucked.

~E&K~

"This isn't going to be traditional," Emma called over her shoulder. She was partially warming up, partially talking to Killian and partially trying to show Mary-Margaret how to work her camera seeing as her brother David wasn't around to do it. "I've choreographed a few lifts and that obviously means my feet are going to leave the ground."

She turned, finally finished with the technology, just in time to see Killian slide out of his box-splits, standing and stretching his arms over his head. The move showed off his muscles, displaying the strength that Emma knew he possessed from all the times that he'd held and lifted her. She would never admit how his abilities made her all hot and bothred.

"Come on then Swan," he said, "Show me what you've got."

The camera was already rolling for a behind the scenes video that she had planned as a follow up piece, but she tried not to think about it, knowing that she could easily make a fool out of herself in rehearsals.  
"Arm round my waist Jones, mine goes round your neck, lift and spin."  
"Easy enough," he said, positioning himself and executing the move flawlessly.  
"You need to look at each other," M interrupted, "The lift is gorgeous but it needs more romance to it."

She glanced at Killian to see what he thought, but he gave no indication other than putting her back in hold but simultaneously tilting his head so that their foreheads kissed. She knew as they turned, how much better it looked, not to mention how it felt,

"Great," she said, moving back across the room holding Killian's gaze, "This is gonna be the big one, just go with me for a second."  
His feet planted, as she rocked back before breaking into a run. At the last moment she jumped, legs wrapping around him.  
"From here," she breathed heavily, trying to focus her thoughts on the move rather than how her body was now twined with Killian's, "I need you to dip and I swear Jones if you drop me..."  
She cut herself off with a shriek, as he lowered her quickly into the back bend, all the while keeping his perfect balance.  
"Like this Swan," he teased, smirking down at her.  
"You're hilarious," she huffed, unconsciously squeezing her legs tighter around his hips, not noticing the flash of desire in his eyes, "Now grab my left thigh, and give it a bit of a boost so we can get into a split drag."

Their session continued on in the exact same manner, whatever choreography Emma chucked at Killian, he easily picked up ,sometimes adding his own twist. The air was thick with sexual tension, that Emma put down to the nature of the dance, I mean they were constantly grinding up against each other, there was bound to be some kind of reaction. She could practically hear the fans screams in her head already. By the time they were ready to do the final take, Mary-Margaret was grinning like the cat that got the cream and making a show out of fanning herself whenever Killian turned his back on them. She was loving this whole thing, damn her. M, along with the majority of their friends, were very much on the fans side of things, meaning that they too were waiting for Emma and Killian to get together. But they were just friends.  
Just friends who happened to basically live together and perform beautiful, sexy, romantic duets together. Duets that may or may or not have ended up with his lips pressed against her throat, purely for the sake of drama... 

At least that's what she toldherself when Killian seemed to linger in that final pose for an added couple of beats before pulling away, releasing the grip he had on the thigh that was propped on his hip.

"I think that was your best work yet Swan," the breathy quality of his voice probably a result of dancing right?

~E&K~

"Thank you so much Vid-Con Los Angeles," Emma yelled into the mic, the responding cheers practically deafening, "It's been amazing to see all of you here today supporting what my friends and I do. It's because of you that I get to keep sharing my love for dance. Before I go, I have time to perform one more number. You've seen Regina, you've seen M, you've seen my whole troop...but there's yet to be a real appearance from my best friend. You undoubtedly noticedhim in the group earlier , but I have managed to coerce him into once again helping me out, so...here to perform my most viewed performance ever; ladies and gentlemen, Killian Jones!"

His famously adorable blush appeared as the volume of the crowd dramatically rose as he stepped out onto the stage. He managed a wave and smile that had many of the girls practically swooning, Emma included as she sauntered over to her in his oh so tightly fitted t-shirt. He chuckled, nervously as she pulled him down to lie on top of her in the opening position, the fans screaming their approval as cameras flashed.

Looking up at him, she could see the touch of fear in his eyes, his not so inner wall-flower making an appearance.  
"Hey," she whispered, hand cupping his cheek (which definitely wasn't a part of the dance) "It's just you and me okay, you and me in the training room as always."  
"Aye love," he responded just as the music started, the performer in him instantly taking over as he slid up her body in the intimate drag.

~E&K~

They're phones were still going off like crazy with all the notifications, tagging them in pictures, videos, edits and fanfics. Neither could be bothered to get off the bed to go and shut the infernal things off.  
"I think the only way they'll ever be happy is if I marry you," Emma muttered, her face wresting in the crook of Killian's neck while he surfed through the hotels limited channels, "When I checked an hour ago they were threatening to storm the lobby and find my room to force me to go out with you."

She was surprised by Killian's lack of verbal reply, his only response being a slight tensing in his shoulders.  
"They don't know what they're talking about love," he eventually said, each word sounding measured, "You've only ever seen me as a best friend and dance partner."  
"Exactly, and I mean...wait. What do you mean _I've_ only ever seen you that way. You see me as a friend and partner too, right?"

There was a pause and then, "Of course love...now if you don't mind, I really need to use the bathroom."

Killian was off the bed and across the room faster than she could react, but she managed to find her voice just as his hand gripped the door handle.  
"Hold it right there Jones!" She called, watching as his body instantly froze, "Friends don't run to hide in the bathroom when discussing friendship. Care to share?"  
He was a statue, glued to the spot, not even turning around to face her.  
"HapsIgreewithans"  
"What?" She hated when he did this, when he got to embarrassed to form a coherent sentence.  
"Perhaps I agree with the fans, love," he finally answered, spinning slowly to look her dead in the eye, "Perhaps I agree with all of the comments about how I look at you because I know in my head that they're right, that when your body is next to mine I react like a school boy with a crush. Bloody hell, I think I must look like the fucking heart eyes emoji or something, because I am so ridiculously in love with you Emma Swan and, seemingly, I've always been terrible at hiding it." 

She was silent as he cautiously made his way over to kneel down next to her at the side of the bed.  
"Emma, please say something."  
She blinked profusely  
"You love me?" she eventually managed to whisper.  
"Ever since I saw you dance for the first time, even more so when you talked to me, and I continue to fall in love with you more and more with each passing day. Seriously love, I surprised I didn't spontaneously combust while we were dancing."  
She giggled and reached out to thumb at the dimple that popped up with his hesitant smile.  
"Am I an idiot for not realising it sooner..."  
"Like I said I clearly wasn't good at-"  
"Not you Killian, me. Am I an idiot for not realising that I loved you sooner." 

"Swan," he breathed, not daring to hope.  
"I love you Killian Jones, and not in a best friends kind of way, in a why don't we try that dance again but with our clothes off kind of way."  
It was his turn to laugh, "Aye, love. I think I can get on board with that."  
He began to lean in, his intention clear with the way his gaze was locked on her lips.

"Wait!"  
"Emma!" He groaned, "Have we not waited long enough, it's been literal years love."  
"I know," she agreed, running a soothing hand through his hair as she joined him on the floor, reaching out for her phone, "I just need to do one thing first."  
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, she snapped a selfie of the two of them and opened up Instagram.

 _ **Such a great time at #vidconla great to be able to perform with the most amazing bf in the world. I love you captainkillianjones #truelove #dancerlover#yesthisreal #finally**_

"So I'myour 'bf' am I?" Killian said the smirk in his voice not hidden as his face was where it was situated against her neck, his lips trailing up and down the column of her throat.  
"You bet your ass you are."  
She tilted her head to the side in order to better accommodate him, but he had other ideas.  
"Swan," he murmured across her lips, her face clasped between his hands, "Turn the bloody phones off, I intend to ravish you without any distractions."  
"Aye, aye Captain," she responded, tossing the device to the side and finally capturing his lips in a searing kiss.

~E&K~

The next time Killian appeared in one of her videos, they made the final sign-off together with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and his lips lingering against her cheek. Even later on, they danced together, making sure to emphasise the lines of her left hand, allowing the fans to screenshot the film to realise what had finally happened.


	7. Who's Chaperoning Who?

**Prompt: "Our siblings are in an arranged marriage and so we see each other at awkward social gatherings between our two kingdoms" au**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

 **Who's Chaperoning Who?**

He didn't think he'd ever seen Liam look quite so uncomfortable in his whole life and that's including the time he got completely smashed on his 18th and one of the maids found him lying completely naked by his grandmother's pond. Killian would be enjoying his normally confident older brother's discomfort a whole lot more if it wasn't for the fact that he felt so awkward himself; this was afterall going to be his future too at some point.

The Jones boys had always been considered odd as far as royalty goes. With Liam at 23 and Killian at 19, it was expected that they should both now be married off by their own devices, rather than being the bachelors that they actually were. It had lead to several arguments with their father who furiously insisted that they each find a bride and continue the kingdom's lineage to set a good example for their younger half brother. LJ had been written into the succession act by their father's own hand in order to legitimize his birth. Killian's mother had died when he was twelve from a plague that had swept their kingdom, a few months later LJ was found at the gate. It was then that he had found out of his fathers affair with one of the lesser noble-women producing a son whom her husband had named Liam after the eldest prince, not knowing the child wasn't actually his. The man had died and the woman fled not before leaving Liam Junior as he was now known, in the care of his real father.

Killian had thought that he may grow to resent the boy if only for the fact that he represented his father's betrayal to his beloved mother, but LJ was easy to love and so he stood proudly by Killian's side smirking at Liam who was blushing furiously as his father practically begged with the King David and Queen Snow White to accept an arranged marriage. Another first; King Brennan of Farraige, the proudest naval kingdom in Misthaven did not beg for anything.

As his father prattled on and on, Killian found himself growing steadily more bored and allowed his eyes to wander to the four people on the other side of the table. There were three women and one young boy around LJ's age, all with their hands clasped properly in their laps, feet planted firmly on the floor, ever the diligent royals. Everyone knew the story of David and Snow's children, or, unofficial children may be more accurate in some cases. Many years ago, the King and Queen of Arendelle had been sailing with their family when an almighty storm, sank their ship and everyone on it, save for the two young Princesses, who, by some act of divine intervention, had washed up on the shores of Misthaven in a trunk. Princess Elsa and Princess Anna had been found by David when he was out riding and he immediately brought them home. They had remained with the family ever since, a regent left in charge of Arendelle until they were prepared to return. Unfortunately, that could not be until Elsa had been married. The law of their kingdom could not be changed by any save the ruling monarch; as both were dead, Elsa needed to find a husband before she could take to the throne. A steady line of suitors had passed through these walls, each making their bid for Elsa's hand, each failing horribly. She was said to

have quite an icy personality, a stark comparison to her bubbly sister, who apparently struggled to keep her mouth shut most of the time.

The other two were Snow and David's own children. Prince Leopold the Second and his older sister Crown Princess Emma. Like himself, Emma was 19 and seen as quite the oddity for not yet having a husband. She was as beautiful as everyone said, supposedly fiercely strong and intelligent, a worthy opponent in the battle of both sword and wit. Word was that she had scared away her last suitor after nearly beheading him in a fight. His gaze remained trained on the blonde princess, his lip curling slightly at the amused expression on her face, eyes occasionally flicking to her 'sister' who was blushing profusely and trying to avoid looking at Liam.

"Perhaps if her highness were to spend just a little time with my son, she would come to realize what a suitable match it would be," Brennan said, looking more and more frantic. Really this was his last chance to get Liam into a powerful union.  
"If Elsa is willing," replied Queen Snow cordially, looking at the white blonde princess who nodded her head ever so slightly.  
"Excellent!" Brennan practically shouted.  
"An escorted walk through the grounds I should think will be sufficient," intoned Kind David, eyeing Brennan carefully, "Your son Killian, I'm sure will be able to accompany and Emma too, she will be happy to act as a guide."

Killian stood straighter at that, his attention returned fully to the negotiations table. His father however was not remotely pleased with the arrangement.  
"Killian? No there is absolutely no need for him to go, I am certain your daughter will be a perfectly capable escort on her own and Killian will stay here." Brennan glared at him, daring him to speak out against him in front of the others. Although, his challenge was not found in his son but-

"Nonsense," said Queen Snow, looking the other King over with a somewhat disgusted gaze, "Killian will escort Emma and Liam, Elsa; it is the only logical course of action, that is if you are in agreement?" All eyes were suddenly on Killian, though he found himself only concerned with the green pair that were now boring into his own.  
"It would be my honour," he replied, never breaking contact and ignoring Brennan's indignant sputters as he made his way across the room to bow before the Crown Princess, "Your Highness, I would be delighted to share in your company should you consent to offering it."

Emma narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, and he got the impression she was sizing him up. Keeping his upturned palm in place, he waited patiently for her decision. She must have reached some kind of conclusion as he suddenly found her hand in his own, which she used to pull herself up.  
"The honour is all mine," she assured, hand deftly moving to the crook of his elbow, before pausing to allow their siblings to sort themselves out.

Liam and Elsa after an awkward bow and curtsy, managed to link themselves up and fall into place behind them. Just as he was about to turn and allow Emma to pull him from the room, he felt a hand clamp down hard on his other arm.  
"If you mess this up for me in anyway boy," his father hissed in a whisper, "You will pay for it dearly."

With that, Brennan dropped his elbow and fell back into his groveling routine, smiling widely at the Princesses and gesturing them from the room.

The door was shut behind them and the group began a quiet tour of the castle, Emma narrating on a few aspects but otherwise remaining quiet and allowing Liam an attempt to try and get to know Elsa a little better. The would be Queen seemed a tad cold and unsure, answering in single syllables where possible before taking over entirely and directing them out into the grounds. Liam seemed a bit besotted as she all but dragged him off, the outdoors seeming to empower her and letting her find the courage to hold an actual conversation.

He and Emma dropped back to witness the awkward attempts at flirting, him desperately trying not to laugh at his brother's utter uselessness with the opposite sex.  
"So what's the deal with your father?" Princess Emma said quite suddenly, causing him to trip, until then she hadn't spoken to him directly since they left the room. "Sorry," she filled in quickly, "That was incredibly rude, forget I ever asked."  
"No, no, it's fine," he quickly supplied, not wanting them to retreat back into silence when he found himself quite desperate to know her. "Brennan thinks I'm trouble. He doesn't like that I haven't married myself off to some far corner of the world where I won't be his problem anymore."  
"But why?" She implored, "Why would he feel that way about you?"  
"Probably because I called him a washed-up, old, bastard when I was thirteen for cheating on my mum."

That succeeded in drawing a quick and loud laugh from her, so loud in fact, that it drew the attention of the other's. Liam gave him a questioning look that he waved off, turning his attention back to Emma who looked horribly embarrassed.  
"Wow," she eventually said, finally regaining some control, "thirteen year old you sounds like quite the rebel."  
"Aye," he responded, with a hint of smirk, "I've always been a bit of a dashing rapscallion."

He knew he really shouldn't smolder at the Crown Princess, but that was all over now and he was delighted to see her turn a wonderful shade of pink.  
"My, my; is the princess blushing?" He teased.  
In return he got a shove, a muttered 'shut up' and the beginning of what would seem an unlikely friendship.

~E&K~

It was Elsa who ended up being Brennan's saving grace. He had done a poor job of convincing Snow and David, yet the Princess was quite taken with Liam and agreed to a courtship, as well as (if all went well) a marriage at the end of it. This lead to the best six months of Killian's life. While they had to return to their own Kingdom for a short while, Killian stayed in contact with Emma, the two sharing their personal views of politics, scandalous relationships and of course their own siblings. She was incredibly witty, sharp as a nail and he couldn't help but feel a little bit in love with her. Like himself, Liam maintained a written correspondence with Elsa for two months or so before they received an invitation to return to Misthaven.

In the time that had passed, Emma had declared him to be her best-friend (apart from her sister) but it was still a bit of a shock to him when she forewent all sense of propriety to hug him when he landed on the dock, much to his father's displeasure.  
"It is wonderful to see you again Killian," she breathed into his ear before pulling away, only to giggle as he handed over a buttercup that he's had LJ snatch from the ground for him, knowing they were her favourite.  
"Ready to chaperone more awkward interludes between your sister and my brother?" He queried, smiling in response to the grin that lit up her features.  
"I can think of nothing better," she replied, towing him along back to the castle.

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #1 THE LIBRARY**

Elsa and Liam were tucked away in some corner, not so much out of the view that it would cause a scandal, but enough to have what passed as privacy. Meanwhile, Killian was relaxed back in a one of the many comfy love-seats, reading aloud to Emma as she scanned the shelves before coming to settle on the opposite end, propping her feet in his lap as if it was something they always did.  
"My name is Inigo Montoya," he said in a deliberately poor accent, that he knew would make her scoff, voice rising dramatically "you killed my father prepare to die."

"Killian!" Liam bellowed in response, "Can you please shut up. Some of us are trying to hold actual conversations without your terrible acting interrupting."

Emma threw back her head in laughter, and he could even here Elsa's tinkling giggle as he shot back a snarky reply, enjoying how his princess' had unconsciously curled into him.

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #2 HORSE RIDING**

He didn't know whether to punch Liam or hug him. True, the idiot had tried to impress Elsa by cutting down a tree in their path, which ended up spooking Killian's flighty horse and sending him flying to the ground in agony as the creature bolted; but it had ended up with them travelling back to the castle with Emma pressed tightly against his back so they could both fit in the saddle.

He hissed slightly as she prodded one of the many grazes he now had about his person, this one on the side of his neck.  
"Sorry," she murmured, fingers soothing over the reddened flesh.  
"Well you can always kiss it better," he half teased, hearing the anticipated snort.  
"In your dreams," she replied, though he would swear on his life, that that was the first time he felt the brush of her lips.

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #3 MUSIC**

She truly was remarkable, he thought as her fingers danced lightly over the keys of the piano, her whole concentration centered on the sheets of music in front of her. He in turn kept his eyes on her as she continued to play. He knew that Elsa was humming along softly where she was seated next to Liam. It would appear that she had a marvelous voice were she to use it, but that was of little import right now. The three of them burst into applause as Emma finished playing, again staining her cheeks a delightful rouge colour.

"Alright," she interrupted, "So that's me, someone else go." He looked expectantly at Liam, as his brother was the one who was meant to be wooing a fair lady, though Liam's had that conniving look that meant he was going to make Killian do something which would embarrass him.  
"Why don't you sing for us little brother," he announced as if the idea had suddenly come upon him.  
"Younger brother and absolutely not."

"Please Killian," said Elsa, obviously getting in on the scheme, much to Liam's delight.  
"Yeah come on Killian," added Emma and he knew he was done for, "I showed you mine, so you show me yours."

He was the one blushing now, but steeling his resolve he stood and ambled over to the piano, hitting a couple of notes to try and find the right key. He began to sing and old sea-shanty that had been one of his mother's favourites, getting lost in the words and the memories, barely noticing when he reached the end. His eyes opened from where they had fallen shut in the moment, glancing at his brother who seemed close to tears and then to Elsa who was watching Emma, watch him. He swore to himself then and there that he would never forget how she looked at him that day, as if he was the best thing in her world.

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #4 SWORD-FIGHTING**

He was completely breathless, all of the air stolen from his lungs after he slammed into the ground with an added weight atop him.  
"I can't believe you tackled me," he huffed out in a gasping laugh, "bad form Princess."  
Emma only sat up, still astride him he might add. "Yeah well, I wasn't about to let you win."

"I'm fairly certain that's against the moral rules of engagement," Elsa chimed in from where she was seated in the royal box. Emma simply shrugged, still looking perfectly content and smug, sitting on him.  
"I always knew there was a little pirate in you love," he teased, bucking her off when she tried to push his face back into the dirt.

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #5 DINNER**

"So I hear Emma showed you up in the ring today Killian," David said from his seat at the head of the table, pride ringing in his every word.  
"If by showing me up you mean that she through her sword aside and launched at me then I couldn't agree more."

That drew a laugh from everyone save for Brennan who was still not speaking to his middle child. David raised his glass in salute, "Rather you than me son."  
Killian froze, Brennan choked, Liam, Elsa and Snow shared a secret smile and Emma just stared at her father who went on eating as if nothing had happened. It was Emma's Aunt Ruby who broke the silence, bringing out some ridiculous story from the girl's childhood that was almost enough to distract Killian from how desperately he wanted the King's words to be true.

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #6 DANCING**

"Bloody hell Liam, could you be any worse at this. I feel as if I'm experiencing Elsa's pain for her." Liam flipped a finger at his brother, shooting an apologetic look to Elsa who had taken the opportunity to rub at her stamped upon toes.  
"It's not your fault," she said, "we'll get there. Until then lets see how your brother fairs against Emma."  
"Hey!" Emma cried indignantly, "I'm not that bad."  
"Of course not, I'm sorry," Elsa said aloud before mouthing 'good luck' to Killian.

His princess was till stewing at her sisters dig, so it was up to him to position her in his arms, before using a finger to tilt her chin so she would look at him.  
"Eyes on me love," he whispered solely to her, "Fortunately, you picked a partner who knows what he's doing." With that he swept her away, twirling her round and round the empty ball room, to the music the band was playing in rehearsal for the ball. He didn't notice the King and Queen come to a halt as they passed by the doors, nor did he notice how the palace staff stopped what they were doing to watch the Prince and Princess spin this way and that, the smiles on each of their faces, brightening the sunlit space. He lifted her at the waist as the final noted echoed, turning once and lowering her gently back to the earth, like the precious cargo she was.

Applause erupted all around them and his hand automatically rose to scratch behind his ear, before he finished in the customary bow, lifting Emma's hand to brush a kiss across her knuckles.  
"It seems we make quite the team your highness," he whispered as he stood back to his full height.  
"Indeed," Emma replied, bottom lip drawn between her teeth, forcing him to remember that they did in fact have an audience.

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #7 THE BALL**

"I swear if another guy tries to put his hand on my ass-" Emma huffed, leaning heavily against the balcony next to Elsa where they had escaped to get some air.  
"Well not everyone can be Killian," her sister said, tugging at the collar of her dress.  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Oh Emma please, the two of you are so ridiculously in love it's maddening. Sometimes I have trouble remembering who's chaperoning who when the four of us go out."  
"That's ridiculous I-"  
"Love him and want to have his babies. I know Emma, you should probably kiss him first."

With that closing statement, Elsa swept back into the ballroom, off to find Liam, leaving Emma to maybe finally figure out what everybody already knew.

~E&K~

 **INERLUDE #8 THE PANTRY**

Killian was trailing behind Emma down corridor after corridor, as she lead him to the kitchens in search of snacks. They were now permitted to leave Liam and Elsa alone for certain periods of time as it was believed that the engagement wasn't far away now, the two clearly being sickeningly in love with one another.

He was excited for his brother, overjoyed that he had finally found what he was looking for and could marry for love.  
He- Was abruptly shoved aside behind an unassuming door and pushed up against some shelves. "Emma what the-"  
"Shh," she whispered quickly, before pushing up on her toes to press her lips against his.

It lasted all of two seconds, giving him no time to react before she pulled away to look at him expectantly. His mind took a moment to remember how to function before he was suddenly surging forward, a growl emitting from somewhere deep in his chest. Killian quickly spun her around, to press her back up against the door they had just come through, ignoring the heavy scent of cheese and vegetables, instead letting his senses be taken over by all things Emma.

She moaned low in her throat as he slipped his tongue between her lips to tangle with her own, their hands losing themselves in each other's hair as they tried to get closer. He could never properly how long they spent kissing in that pantry, if you asked him, he'd have been happy to stay there forever.

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #9 THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY**

Liam and Elsa were positively glowing as the swarms of people surrounded them trying to get a closer look at the ring that was now on her finger. Emma was at his side, their hands secretly linked together, hidden from everyone's view, though today was the day that he decided to change that.

He watched as Snow and David removed themselves from the hoard to take seats in a quiet corner of the room, the perfect location for him to speak with them privately.  
"Go say congratulations to them from me love, I've got to do something really quickly." Emma gave him a suspicious side-eye but didn't question it any further, squeezing his hand gently before cutting smoothly through the mass of people towards the bride-to-be.

Killian steeled himself before turning and marching determinedly towards the royal couple. "Your Majesties," he said, dipping into a formal bow, "I was wondering if perhaps I could have a moment of your time?"  
"Of course Killian," Snow replied with a knowing smile, that made him wonder how long she had been waiting for this moment.

"I know it is not entirely appropriate to draw any attention away from the happy couple which is why I wished to do this quietly. So I shall just come right out and ask, rather than beating around as I have been doing for what feels like months now. My lord, my lady," he said to each in turn with as much confidence as he could muster, "I would like to ask your express permission to allow me to court your daughter. Emma is the smartest, most beautiful, enchanting woman I have and will ever come across; over the months we have spent together I have found myself falling willingly under her spell and would like very much to pursue the deep affection I have come to feel for her."

"That was wonderfully rehearsed Killian," said the King with an expression that was surely meant to be though his pleased smile broke through.  
"Aye, I have thought about it long and hard, perhaps over thought it." The three shared a chuckle before the older royals exchanged a quick look.  
"Killian," said Snow, making him stand straighter, "We can think of nobody better nor worthy for Emma to have bestowed her affection upon. What she feels for you, what i see on her face whenever you are around is all I have ever wanted for my daughter. The fact that it will surely annoy your father is only an added bonus." "Indeed milady, a most excellent bonus indeed, though I assure you, this opportunity to be with Emma is more than enough."

"Perhaps you should now express these feelings to her then?" The king supplied.  
"A most excellent plan, Majesty. Though I believe I shall save it until after the wedding, the Kingdom will have more than enough to deal with without adding towards the arrangement of a new courtship."  
"Killian you've been courting her for five months now, though I do agree with you about it making things easier, there is much to do in the next four weeks."  
"I shall help wherever I can."

He bowed once more, turning away and only just preventing himself from giving a mini-fist-pump. It was finally happening, soon he could be with Emma officially. 

~E&K~

 **INTERLUDE #10 THE WEDDING**

Killian and Emma were gliding smoothly around the dancefloor in their official dance as best-man and maid of honour (Anna had insisted upon being the flowergirl) He paid no mind to the many eyes of both his and her kingdom that lay on them as they moved, instead contemplating the best way to sneak Emma out for a moment to kiss her senseless, as looked positively ravishing in her pale blue gown.

"So," she murmured into his ear, "When were you going to finally ask me to court you? I know you already talked to my parents." Killian very nearly missed a step in surprise, just managing to catch himself.  
"Bloody hell, how did you find out?" "Leo overheard you asking, also I overheard my mother squealing with ruby and Elsa; truly my family isn't very subtle."  
"I see you are no different my love, straight to the point as always?"  
"Am I?" she asked quietly, shyly.  
"Are you what?"

"Your love," she answered, glancing up through her lashes, to meet his wide, hope filled eyes.  
"I would like you to be mine Emma, if that is what you so desired."  
"And if I did?"  
"I would have a very hard time preventing myself from kissing you right here and now, causing all sorts of drama for both our families."

"Eh," she shrugged, "That's their problem."  
With that his Princess promptly seized both sides of his face, pulling his down for a searing kiss in front of both of their kingdoms, politics be damned, taking attention away from the married couple be damned. Liam and Elsa didn't seem to mind. In fact, they were the ones who cheered the loudest.

The End

 **A/N: I saw this prompt today and just had to write it. Please forgive any mistakes that came out with my mad writing spree. That's what I get for fitting 4k into two hours.**


	8. Seriously!

**A/N: Just a little fluff-fic to pick you up mid-week. Also a note for any readers of Undisclosed Desires. After a billion years I have almost finished the new chapter so that should be up in a day or so.  
**

 **Prompt: Person A is a tough could totally kill you type; but, around Person B they turn into a total marshmallow.  
**

 **Disclaimer: Not mine  
**

 **Seriously?!  
**

Very few people understood how it worked. 

Emma Swan liked leather jackets, sturdy boots and classic rock blaring from whichever sound-system she was closest to.  
Killian Jones liked flannel shirts, old literature and matching his socks to whatever t-shirt he happened to have on.  
She liked cop shows, he enjoyed nature documentaries.  
She was ripped jeans, he was sweat-pants.  
She was the best bail-bonds-person in Boston and he was it's sweetest florist.

To people who saw them as a couple on the street, or new neighbours that moved into their apartment complex; Emma Swan and Killian Jones would seem to the naked eye, to be totally incompatible.  
There were only a trusted elite group of individuals who knew the truth. 

~E&K~ 

Emma stalked across the road, six inch stilettos clacking on the tarmac, the already extremely tight dress hugging her even more tightly with the new addition of spilled wine.  
Her prey for the evening was currently desperately trying to get the car he bought with his embezzled money, to take off in any direction away from her. People were exceptionally unobservant when panicked which always tended to play in her favour.

He finally noticed the restraint just as Emma reached the door.  
"Look I can pay you, I can..I..."  
"No you can't," she replied quickly having heard the same old spiel time after time, "And if you do have anything you should give it to your wife and children."  
"Ha," the man spat, "what would you even know about family?"  
That was the final straw.  
Grabbing a handful of the perps hair, she forcefully slammed his head against the steering wheel hearing the oh so satisfying crunch of his nose breaking.  
"A whole lot more than you a-hole." 

~E&K~

Killian was sat stiffly in the over-stuffed armchair in the corner of his apartments living room.  
He was trying to kid himself into believing that he was paying attention to the cooking show that he had running on the TV to provide some background noise. In reality, he knew that he was actually completely unaware of all of his surroundings apart from the coffee table in front of him, where his phone was resting.

He'd been willing the damn thing to ring for the last half-hour; or, if he was being really honest, since his beautiful girlfriend had walked out the door. Part of the reason that he was so hopelessly in love with Emma Swan was because she was a woman who could handle herself; tough, strong and capable of taking down men twice her size. This knowledge however didn't stop him from worrying about her every time she went on one of her dates. The only point at which he could relax again, is once she was returned safely to his arms.

As if his thoughts had been heard, his phone suddenly started to move across the table, the Swan Lake theme blasting from the speakers (a drunk choice they'd made together three years ago that stuck.)  
"Swan!" He huffed in lew of any formal greeting, his voice coming put breathless after his mad dive for the device. Killian heard her giggle on the other end, obviously having guessed his situation.  
"Hey there sailor," she said, the smile in her voice evident, igniting a grin of his own, "I'm done and catching a ride to the station to grab my fee. Think you could help a girl out and pick her up."

In the background he could hear some muffled yelling followed by a louder male voice telling the first person to 'shut up.'  
"Graham with you?" Killian inquired recognizing the accent of their mutual close friend.  
"Yeah, he says hi and wants to know if you're still on for the match next week."  
"Absolutely. Love, I'm just heading out the door now so I should hopefully get to you in ten minutes."  
"I'll be counting," she whispered only for him before hanging up so he could get the bug going and bring her home. 

~E&K~

The Boston P.D 18th Precinct wasn't the largest by any stretch of the word. The reception, bullpen and few cells were all in clear view of each other which was why Emma found herself seated in one of the hard plastic chairs, trying not to roll her eyes too much as her perp made excuse after excuse for skipping bail.  
Graham was shutting down every so single attempt and had the guy behind bars in about three minutes after realising he wasn't going to give up the information they needed.

She idly tapped away at some puzzle game that Killian had downloaded onto her phone when she continued to complain about being bored in long lines or waiting rooms.  
It was a good enough distraction until the man himself walked through the doors. He was dressed in the manner that she typically associated him with; soft, loose fitting track pants and one of his large college tees.  
A smile instantly crept up onto her face when he ignored the receptionist and made a beeline for where she was sitting, completely oblivious to everyone else in the room.

She rose in time for him to step into her space and wrap her up in a tight hug. No matter how non-threatening her perp was, he always greeted her with the same reception as if she had survived a round with a grizzly bear rather than a middle-aged embezzler who probably hadn't thrown a punch in his whole life.  
"You okay love?" He murmured into her ear; again standard procedure.  
"I'm fine. But it may be time to retire the dress, I don't think she'll survive another wine stain."

It was his queue to take a step back and run his own investigation of her person to ensure that she didn't have a hair out of place. She knew he was mostly satisfied by the slight drop in his shoulders as he let some of the tension drift away.  
"Let's sail away love," he said with a smile, taking her hand and giving a brief wave to Graham who just rolled his eyes and went back to work as the two left the building, stuck in their own personal bubble that nobody, not even an old friend, could penetrate.

"Seriously!" The criminal suddenly exclaimed into the otherwise quiet space, "How does a guy like that end up with a hard-ass bitch like her?"  
The man cowed under Graham's cold glare, retreating back to slump onto one of the cell's benches.  
"You have no idea," Graham muttered to himself, having had the same response for as long as he had known Killian and Emma.  
In all honesty, if he didn't know better, he might have shared the sentiment. 

~E&K~ 

The bar was completely packed, as was to be expected of a Saturday night in the city. The music was loud, the people even louder and the alcohol a seemingly never-ending supply.  
Emma, Mary-Margaret and Ruby were back out on the dancefloor after a quick break, the three of them managing to find a gap in the crowd and make it large enough for when their partners returned from topping up the drinks.

"Hey ladies!" A voice sounded over the thudding base and the women turned to see a pair of greasy looking men leering their way, "Can we get you some drinks."  
"No thanks," Mary-Margaret replied instantly, "We're actually covered for now."  
She followed this up with a pointed look at the bar, her gaze pinpointing David, Killian and Dorothy as they waited for the incoming order; however, it wasn't enough to perturb the creeps.

"Hows about we just get to know each other instead then," said the one in front, turning his attention to Emma, "I'm Walsh this is Keith, we work together at a furniture shop. The Wonderful Wizard of Oak; perhaps you've heard of us."

Emma heard Ruby scoff and tried to contain her eyeroll as Walsh attempted to 'subtly' step more into her space; the man sure didn't like to give up.  
"Can't say I have," she replied coldly, "Unless you've skipped bail then I'm not all that interested."  
Walsh grinned, a wide off-putting smile that made him appear slightly unhinged.  
"A bounty-hunter," he said, feigning being impressed, "And do you have a name to go with that job title?" 

She had just about had enough and was ready to tell the space-invader to back off or else she'd make him, when another, more familiar, _more welcome_ voice joined the conversation.  
"Everything alright love?" Killian asked, his arm winding possessively around her waist, coming to a stop in front of Walsh whose eyes flashed with anger as her boyfriend staked his claim handing over the fresh drink with a kiss pressed to her temple.

"Thanks. This Walsh and his friend Keith, they work in a furniture shop."  
"Like Ikea?" Killian queried, with a deliberately taunting eyebrow raised at the men as he drew her even closer against his chest.  
"No actually," Walsh all but spat, "What do you do anyway."

Without a moments hesitation and voice filled with confidence and pride, Killian replied, "I'm a florist."  
At that, he turned away, Emma still tucked neatly into his side and began to make his way to the bars exit, ignoring the shouts behind them.  
"Seriously! How the hell does a florist get a bounty-hunter?!" 

~E&K~ 

Back in their apartment, Emma moaned low in her throat as Killian pressed her into a wall, hitching her legs around his hips whilst leaning his head back as she all but devoured the length of his neck.  
"Gods Swan," he hissed, rutting gently against her, "I should be possessive more often if I can expect this kind of reaction."  
She bit down on his earlobe in retaliation to his jab, knowing that it would make his knees quake with arousal.  
"You wouldn't have to go on the defensive if you just told everyone that you're ex-special ops navy; I'd be the one having to beat them off with a stick then."  
"Ah but I enjoy being a mere humble florist, would you like it if O went around telling perps that the bad-ass bailbonds-person who just flawed them owns a onesie, is extremely cuddly and is even more enthralled by flower-arranging than I am."  
She just about managed to mutter a quick 'shut up' before directing them into the bedroom, where her assertive Navy Captain came out to play and Emma Swan: professional snuggler, made an appearance many, many hours later.

~E&K~

Very few people understood how the relationship between Emma Swan and Killian Jones worked.  
The trusted few could only describe it in terms of that one meme:

Killian Jones: Looks like a Cinnamon Roll, but could totally kill you.  
Emma Swan: Looks like they could kill you, but is actually a Cinnamon Roll.

The End


	9. Peaches and Pomegranates

**A/N: Based off something I saw on Tumblr. A reverse Hades/Persephone story. Hope ya like it x**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything**

 **Peaches and Pomegranates**

No one got the better of the Lord of the Underworld.  
Killian had sat alone on his throne as King of the Dead for a long time and in all those millennia, not once had he been bested. It had only served to boost the growth of both his ego and his confidence; his cock-sure nature irritating his brothers and sisters whenever he paid a visit to Olympus. The mortals had always misinterpreted the typical irritating banter between siblings as deliberate antagonism and underlying hatred. The truth was, though he did sometimes resent his family for their wonderful lives above the surface, he loved them all deeply and really had little quarrel with them at all.  
Apart from when it came to one thing...Emma.

His brother David's daughter. She was beauty incarnate, a true vision of abundant vitality suited to her role of bringing life in the harvests. Whenever Killian saw her, he was immediately enraptured and had often sought out his brother to request his permission to attempt to woo her. David though, despite how he loved Killian and wished for his happiness, could not allow his daughter, who embodied all that was light, to be sentenced to months on end in the darkness of underworld.  
It was after one of these instances, another futile attempt to try and persuade David to see his point of view, that Killian's over-confidence came to be the cause of his failure.

It was going to be a joke, he wouldn't keep her obviously, yet still it seemed like a good idea to try and kidnap Emma; just for a little while so that she could maybe have the chance to get to know him properly. He'd managed to sneak up on her, a rare feet in itself as she was always so fresh-faced and alert, and made a grab only for his world to suddenly go dark.  
The next thing he knew, he was coming around, locked inside an ornamental gold cage in the midst of a beautiful garden; an irate blonde staring him down where he lay.

That was the first time the God of the Dead had been bested by the beautiful goddess, and it most definitely wouldn't be the last.

~E&K~

"Were you trying to kidnap me?" Emma asked the instant she saw that he was awake, making Killian chuckle under his breath. She had always been the type to get straight to the point, no nonsense, it's why the mortals tended to try not to anger her; she could hold a mean grudge that would devastate a nation's harvests for years if she so wished.  
"I was merely trying to get your attention darling, seems my plan worked." He tried for casual nonchalance, but knew she wasn't buying it when she snorted, though there was a slight upturn to her lips.  
"Sure. How does it feel to be kidnapped by your intended kidnapee?"  
"Love you can hold me hostage any time you like. Had I known you were into bondage I would have-Hey!"

She had thrown an apple at his head, and when he went to speak again, she followed it up with a peach. He managed to wipe the gunk from his eyes in time to catch her covering her mouth in order to stifle a giggle, not that it was doing much good.  
"Are you laughing at the Lord of the Underworld?" He asked, trying to inject his tone with some malice and failing as she continued to grin at him.  
"No. I'm laughing at a billion year old God look like a kicked puppy because I got peach in his hair."  
"It's more like a few thousand lass, let's not exaggerate."

Emma merely allowed one of her eyebrows to tick up as if to say 'yeah right,' before turning and beginning to saunter away.  
"Hey wait!" He yelled, "Aren't you going to let me out?"  
She turned slowly, a playful smirk gracing her lips. "Nah," she said, "I think I'll keep you here for a while. You make such a pretty lawn ornament."  
With that she turned again and sashayed off, a deliberate sway to her hips that left him speechless and wondering what the hell was going to happen to him now.

~E&K~

He hadn't seen Emma since he'd woken up. In fact, he was entirely alone in her bright and lively garden, it was beginning to make him feel a bit unsettled. He wasn't normally above ground for so long and everything was just so...alive. Really, he should get away from dead people more if it meant that living things were starting to weird him out.  
Perhaps a few lilies would settle his nerves, poison ivy, pomegranates maybe; things that he could at least associate with his home rather than all this fruit and honeysuckle.  
The sound of distant humming broke him from his thoughts and he was quick to stand, ready to beseech whomever it was to release him. All thoughts of that happening halted, when he saw who rounded the corner.

Mary-Margaret froze at the sight before her. Her daughter had said that she might see something odd in the garden when she went about her gathering, but she did not anticipate it to be her brother-in-law leaning against the golden bars of what she was fairly certain was an over-sized bird cage. She couldn't help it as a loud burst of laughter erupted from her chest making Killian roll his eyes.  
"Emma warned me to expect something, but never did I guess that it would be this."

She wiped the tears from her eyes as she approached, resting her basket by her feet and raising a questioning brow, a complete reflection of her daughter.  
"I may have been planning to temporarily take your daughter on a brief sojourn to my home in an attempt to get to know her away from the over-bearing eyes of your husband."  
"I can see how well that's worked out for you."  
Killian's hand rose to scratch behind his ear, not missing the disapproval behind Mary-Margaret's amusement.  
"Indeed. Your daughter is quite the fiery lass."

The goddess simply hummed and went about collecting a few things in the general vicinity while Killian watched, arms dangling through the bars as he propped himself up.  
"You know there are better ways that you could have approached her," Mary-Margaret said, as she dropped a few armfuls of wheat atop her pile, "I know you were the one who got her that chariot on her 116th birthday. She drives that thing religiously though she doesn't know where it came from."  
Killian blushed, "I believed she still thought of me as little more than the strange outsider who showed up to family events."  
"And kidnapping her was going to change that?"

The pair fell silent again, Killian retreating to sit on the bench that rested on one side of his cage, as Mary-Margaret picked up her now over-flowing basket, coughing to get his attention.  
"I'm not going to let you out, that's up to her, but I'll make sure she doesn't forget and let you starve so here."  
She stuck some fruit and veg into his new home, ambling off humming the same tune as before, seemingly perfectly content with leaving him shut up there with no foreseeable way out."

~E&K~

Okay, so perhaps being locked in a cage in the magical garden of the lass that you quite fancied wasn't all that bad.  
Turned out, Emma wasn't about to forget about him any time soon, as she eventually made a reappearance, coming to rest nearby with a book to read. He was mesmerised as she lay herself out on the soft grass, her stomach to the ground, chin propped up on one hand and her legs crossed in the air. She seemed intent on the pages before her, so he simply stretched out on his back, propping his head on his hands and closing his eyes; it had been a long time since he'd simply lain in the sun.

After a while, he felt a tingling sensation and turned to catch Emma staring at him.  
"What are you thinking about?" She asked, marking her page before closing the book and rising to a sitting position so she could look down at him.  
"Just marvelling over the enjoyment of relaxing in the light, not much of that where I come from."  
She shuffled closer, crossing her legs so that she could press nearer.  
"Is it awful down there? I've always been curious."  
"It's not all bad," he replied, moving to match her position so they were eye to eye, "It's nothing like the mortals make it out to be. Of course, hell is hell for some people but the Elysium Fields are quite the sight to behold and there is something calming in the flow of the rivers."  
"Would you tell me more?" Emma said, a small smile on her face and the light of curiosity burning bright in her eyes; how could he possibly refuse.

That first afternoon he told Emma all about his home, talking for hours on end until the moon was pulled into the sky and the pair of them fell asleep under the stars.

~E&K~

"So what's this I hear about you keeping the God the Dead locked up in your garden?" Elsa, the Goddess of Snow queried from where she reclined across one of the many chaise in Emma's home, causing her friend to blush wildly.  
"You make it sound so filthy."  
"That's because it is," interjected Ruby, Goddess of the Hunt, "I don't blame you though sugar. Killian is one fine specimen, why have you not tapped that immortal ass."  
"Oh my gods," Emma muttered, simply standing up and leaving the room so she didn't have to deal with the teasing anymore.

She'd kept Killian with her now for a couple of weeks. Though he often whined and pouted for her to let him out, she knew that if he really wanted to leave there would have been that he could have done so already. Why he had chosen to stay was something that she didn't quite want to explore yet, though she couldn't ignore the feeling beneath her breast-bone when he laughed or the fluttering in her stomach when he smiled that one specific, roguish smile. Nope wasn't thinking about that all.  
She was also ignoring all of her fellow immortal's commentary on how good the harvests were this season and their over-exaggerated speculation as to what had put her in such a good mood.

Her father had been angry and first and vanished off to have words with Killian for what felt like an eternity, and that was saying something for a god, but when he'd come back it had been with a chuckle and an affection kiss to Emma's forehead. She'd tried to get Killian to tell her what they'd talked about, but he was keeping it mum and simply shrugged with that boyish grin that he knew distracted her.  
She spent every afternoon and most mornings with him, keeping him updated and listening to him try and coerce her into making a few additions to her garden:  
"I'm telling you love, a pomegranate tree would look great here, shade during the summer for when you're out here with one of your many books. Not to mention that the fruit itself is delicious and...an aphrodisiac."  
His eyebrows had done that ridiculous waggling right before he was made to duck as another peach sailed through the air at him; where they materialised from he never knew.

She tried to ignore how something in her clenched whenever he looked at her as if he couldn't quite believe she was real and talking to him. He was a wonderful person, grossly misrepresented and misinterpreted. He was smart, witty, captivating and, despite what he did, he was a good man. It isn't like he chose to be the Lord of Death, simply drew the short straw; he could have just have easily been in David's place. Fate moved in mysterious ways and she wondered if this thread was one she was destined to follow through with.  
However, that thought was tested not long afterwards.

~E&K~

Emma was sat on the ground, her back to the cage as Killian's fingers carded through her hair, working it into some intricate pattern that she couldn't see yet. He refused to tell her where he learnt to braid so well, though she was determined to have the information eventually. The ends had just been tied off when her father appeared, his face stoic on approach.

"Dave," Killian cheered brightly, obviously having not noticed the other man's expression, "Good to see you today. How're things?"  
David forced a smile onto his face, "Not bad Kil, not bad. I'm afraid I need to steal my daughter away for just a moment if that's alright."  
Killian's head cocked to the side, finally picking up on whatever was about to come to pass.  
"Whatever it is you can tell me...that is if Emma doesn't mind."

Both men turned to the blonde who simply gestured for her father to continue.  
"Things have been...getting out of hand on Earth," David began tentatively, "There were people running things for Killian since you've been detained, but recently they've got a bit lax."  
"What do you mean?" Emma asked.  
"No-one is dying, that might not seem like a bad thing but it's upsetting the natural balance. It means..."  
He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence and look at his daughter.  
"What dad? What does it mean?"

"It means I have to go back," Killian whispered.

Emma whirled around, green eyes locking on dejected blue. His shoulders had slumped and he looked like the man who had first woken up in this cage, rather than the one he had become without the constant darkness surrounding him.

As if in a dream, Emma watched as her father moved his hand across the lock and the door swung open to let Killian out. Automatically, it seemed, he reached for her but she couldn't.  
She turned on her heel and ran, ran far from her garden and from the man whom she had come to know and care for over the past however many weeks.  
She ignored his desperate cry of her name and carried on sprinting, not stopping until it felt like there was enough distance between her and the heartbreak she'd left behind.

Emma collapsed to the ground in a sobbing heap, ignoring the sudden cries of the mortals as their crops failed and the old and sick who should have passed long ago, finally departed.

~E&K~

Once more Killian sat alone in darkness, the echoing sounds of the souls of the departed surrounding him. He was not sat upon his throne, hadn't been for the past two weeks which confused his staff who brought the occasional person for his esteemed judgement. Instead they found him in his palace's garden, one of Cerberus' recent pups at his feet, resting on the single bench gazing at a tiny green shot that he was willing to grow.

He hadn't been above ground since David had escorted him from the garden, a comforting palm rested on his shoulder and an honest apology before he made his descent. Never had the trip back to hell been so hard, not since he knew what he was leaving behind.  
Rumours were spreading amongst the demi-gods, who talked way too much for his liking, and apparently the whole of Olympus was buzzing about how the God of the Dead did have a heart and had left it in the hands of the young Goddess of the Harvest.  
Not that she had been doing much harvesting.  
Some of the souls coming through his gates were those too weak to live through the bad harvests that were sweeping the land. He longed to go to her, to Emma; but she had run from him and that spoke volumes.

All he allowed himself to do, was plant this one meagre sapling, the sentimental fool that he was had found the one fertile piece of soil outside of Elysium and taken it over in the hopes that his tiny shoot would turn into a bloody peach tree, as if he weren't torturing himself enough.  
He was gazing at the small patch of green when the pup beneath him stirred with a tiny growl, causing him to raise his eyes, shocked to see who was before him.

"Is that a peach tree?" Mary-Margaret said with a hint of exasperation colouring her tone.  
"So what if it is?" he responded, instantly on the defensive, if he wanted to mope then he had every right to.  
"Gods, you two are as bad as each other," Emma's mother looked down at him with...fondness, "Get up Killian, you're coming with me."  
"But I-"  
"No, no buts," she insisted, "Now move your ass. My daughter is upset and nothing is going to cheer her up except you. So we are going to go up and find her and you two are going to sort things out and make it work."

Killian tripped as she grabbed his arm and started hauling him along.  
"Does your husband know you're here?"  
"Oh please," Mary-Margaret replied, shoving him ahead of her, "Whose idea do you think this was."

~E&K~

Emma sat in her garden contemplating going on a smiting spree. She was most definitely in the mood for one. No one seemed to understand how miserable she was so she might as well make them.

She was about to get to it when her eyes caught the dappled light filtering through the leaves above her.  
It was a stupid idea, but she couldn't help herself. She'd had her father dismantle the cage and take it somewhere else, leaving the space open for her to work a little magic.  
The pomegranate tree was beautiful; it stood as tall and proud as he had, a pleasant reminder of the man himself. She said pleasant, the tree still made her heart ache and it was enough to take the fight right out of her as she wandered over to slump against the trunk.

"I miss you," she whispered to the branches.  
"I missed you too love," a voice replied.

Emma gasped and leaped to her feet.  
Sure enough, he was standing there in the spot she had just vacated, smiling at her as if she had hung the moon (which was stupid because everyone knew that was Ruby's thing too.)  
"Killian," she breathed, before covering the short stretch of space between them and launching herself into his arms.

He caught her about the waist, pulling her into him so that he could bury his face into her hair.  
"Emma," he choked, the emotion welling in his voice causing it to break, "Gods, Emma. My Emma."  
He continued to murmur into her ear as they swayed on the spot, clinging to one another desperately.  
"How? How are you here?"  
"Your parents," he answered, leaning back so he could look at her face, see the happy tears glazing her eyes, "They brought me back said we needed a better arrangement than the both of us wallowing around."

"I didn't wallow," she muttered resulting in a double raised eyebrow, "...much."  
Killian simply grinned at her, drawing her closer once again and laying a kiss against her forehead.  
"Would it be too ironic if I said that I don't think I can live without you love?" He asked, the mirth in his voice outweighed by the honesty.  
"I don't want to be without you either," she said, swaying closer into his space.  
"That's good," Killian mumbled, cupping her cheek and angling her head back until their lips were brushing against each other with every word, "Because I just really desperately need to kiss you right now."

And so he did.

~E&K

It wasn't easy at first, but soon the stories would become legend.  
The God of the Dead used to sit alone on his dark throne in the lifeless pit of hell, until one day he was kidnapped by the beautiful Goddess of the Harvest who captured not only his body, but his heart too.  
Though there was a dark time of much sorrow and anguish, the two were brought together again by love and overcame the challenges of the constant move.

In the winter she lived with him, below the ground, warm within the walls of his palace. When the time of the harvest came around she ascended to do her duty, and he would follow afterwards, they would spend days in her garden lying beneath the pomegranate tree where once there had been a cage, the light catching them both and enhancing their smiles.  
This is often how the mortals painted them. The dark king with his light queen, striking a perfect balance of life and death.

Still, Emma's favourite art was always the more obscure. There were far fewer paintings of the scene, the first she believe was sketched by her mother on one of her visits; of the no longer lonely God and his wife entwined on one solitary bench beneath the one piece of greenery outside of Elysium. The mighty peach tree that would grow forever more, it's fruit a symbol of hope and a handy weapon for whenever Killian came to annoy his wife.

The End.


	10. Laws Be Damned

**Prompt: Werewolves Au**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT**

 **Laws Be Damned**

Killian ran in a dead sprint through the tightly packed dirt tunnel.  
He couldn't look back or else he might get caught and he refused to be caught.  
Up ahead, he could just make out the pale light of the moon, shining in the entrance way.  
 _He'd made it._  
"Or not," he growled as a large mass suddenly appeared before him, blocking the way out.

The wolf was extraordinarily large and, though his human eyes weren't as sharp in the darkness, he knew the beast to be a pale grey with sandy brown highlights. The creature let out a sharp bark as Killian attempted to move past it, a shudder running through its body.  
"Come now brother, don't be a dick about this," Killian said, not batting an eyelash as it was suddenly Liam standing over him rather than his canine alternative.  
"If anyone is being a dick here, it's you little brother. What the hell was that?"

Killian let out a long suffering sigh, pushing a hand through his hair, noting that he would need to cut it as summer drew nearer.  
"I believe you would be referring to another of your failed attempts to set me up."  
Typically, a his older brother, Liam saw it as his duty to ensure that Killian was safe and happy. Apparently, the wolf in his mind decided that he needed to find a mate of his own; after all it was the perfect time. The full-moon was in a few days' time and the females in the pack were beginning to feel particularly amorous. Naturally, as the second in command, the next most dominant alpha and not to mention his rather dashing good looks; Killian was viewed as a prime candidate to mate with. Yet, despite that he knew he was up to it hormonally, libido and testosterone not being the issue, no amount of pheromones could make him mark one of the women as his own.

Cue Liam and his disastrous attempts at meddling.  
"I am just trying to help," his brother huffed, "I want you to have what I have with Tink."  
"And you think I'm going to find that with Ariel? Come on Liam, you know we're all waiting around for Eric to finally make a move. Sounds like you're trying to get me into a fight."  
He could see that his alpha was about to interrupt with the long list of reasons as to why Killian should have settled down by now but, quite frankly, after a few years, he'd had enough.  
"Look," Killian said, holding up a placating hand, "I know you are just trying to look out for me, you've been doing it ever since I was a cub and mum died but brother please; what you have with Tink is beyond special and believe me when I say I want that. I want to find my mate and live happily ever after, but she's not here. This pack is my family, but that's it, you trying to set me up with the single women isn't going to change that."

His brother looked at him, his own blue eyes mirrored in a different face.  
"I just want to be happy."  
"I know," Killian replied, resting his still raised hand on his brother's shoulder, "But I also know that you know that you can't force this. So please may I?"  
He gestured to the exit that he was being blocked from using, smiling as Liam finally stepped aside.  
"Go back to Tink, I expect to have a niece or a nephew by the time you're done."

He took off again before Liam had time to smack him around the back of his head.

~E&K~

He charged through the trees, ducking round branches, letting the wolf in him power his human legs, not wanting to change until the very last moment. The pack hated when he did this, but still Killian ran full pelt until he saw the sharp drop of the large cliff above the river falling away.  
The animalistic glint entered his eye as he flew right to the edge, pushing off at the last second as the shudder passed through his body, landing neatly on the other side.  
The large black wolf let out a howl of victory before continuing to thunder through the undergrowth.

His senses came alive alerting him to the scent of various creatures that ducked away as he came closer, the taste of pine and the feel of the wind in his fur and the earth that flew up in a shower wherever his feet landed.  
People tended to avoid these woods, scared of venturing to the land where the giant wolves were spotted, though none of them knew the truth of the packs. Liam and Killian Jones just happened to be members of a small village that lived amongst the trees despite the danger, the people venturing into larger towns every so often for supplies. It was easier that way; people tended to accept slightly odd humans as an answer opposed to werewolves.

There were a few packs in the area, their kind often coming to rest in this spot that was safe for them. In the beginning, there had been massive fights about territory costing many wolves their lives, until the truces were established and the land divided. But even with the precautions, so many monsters in such close proximity, there was bound to be trouble.  
The alpha of the second largest pack after the Joneses' had taken interest in his mother when he had crossed the boundary and come across her. His father by nature, did not react well. It ended with both his parents and the other clan leader dead when Killian was just five years old and Liam fifteen.

His brother had been forced to take over as had David Nolan, the young son of the rogue alpha. He had risked his life entering their territory to apologise on behalf of his father and a new treaty had been established dictating an area of no-mans' land to prevent accidental line crossings.  
It was in this unclaimed territory that Killian suddenly found himself, his mind having zoned out and not picked up the lack of his packs' scent in the place.

He was about to turn back when he heard a faint rustling to his left and immediately went on the defensive. The thing was large, smaller than him but still more sizable than any deer in this land, there was also the unmissable wolf smell.  
A growl rumbled through his chest in warning as the new arrival made themselves known.

She emerged from the brush, clearly a female by her slight, narrow frame, though she walked as any alpha male would approaching an undetermined threat with her hackles raised and teeth bared. He refused to back up as she circled, prepared to strike if necessary until the moonlight caught her fur, showing him the unmistakable blonde colouring that he had only seen on one occasion.

Cautiously, he eased his stance, allowing the link to open in his mind that all wolves shared.  
" _Evening Swan,_ " he said, watching as the recognition dawned and the blonde wolf, if it was even possible, rolled her eyes.  
 _"Jones,"_ her voice sighed in his mind, _"Should have known it would be you rebelling against orders and entering the no-go zone."_  
He barked out the equivalent of a laugh, sitting back on his haunches, trusting that David's second wasn't suddenly going to attack him.  
 _"I do consider myself a bit of a pirate at heart. What about you love? What has you breaking all the rules tonight?"_

He couldn't quite help the flirtatious tine that his 'voice' took on with her. The two had met on one of David and Liam's amnesty trips to ensure good feeling remained, the pair of them each holding position on the right of their alphas, the rest of the packs behind. Though they were both still very young, by blood it was their right to be front and centre as the leaders had the first of many peace meetings. She too held the title of younger sibling, the same age as he was and, in Killian's opinion, entirely too alluring for her own good. The event occurred annually on the day after the terrible fight had taken place; the two packs taking on their human forms and socialising within the designated unowned zone.

He'd come to know Emma Swan rather well, the two often falling into conversation at some point during the evening. He'd heard all about her rebellious phase, going lone for a few months, changing her surname to set her apart before returning, ready to be the second her pack needed. In turn he'd told her about some of his own packs weird more human rituals such as Liam's eventful stag-night that had started out in the local pub in flesh form, before ending as drunk wolves trying to commandeer a boat on the river.

He had come to find out that she had a captivating smile, a sharp mind and throughout the years she'd grown into a fierce hunter. She was worthy of the position she held, ignoring the jibes of some of the men lower in their ranks, letting her actions speak for her. From the age of six until now, he had seen her change from a slightly scrawny club into a devastatingly beautiful woman.  
A desirable mate if there ever was one, but seeing as she was out here...

" _I would have assumed that some lucky man would have you coveted away tonight lass."_  
Emma scoffed, pawing at the ground to clear some of the foliage before she too sat down.  
 _"You sound like my brother. Trust me, I couldn't wait to get out of there. Wolf hearings a bitch at this time of the month."_  
Killian smiled knowing exactly what she was referring to, he had come to make sure he was on the other side of the den when Liam decided to take Tink to bed, if only to spare his own sanity.  
 _"I know what you mean love. No sibling should have to bare that."_  
 _"Ah, so the elusive Killian Jones still hasn't settled down."_  
As a wolf he couldn't really raise an eyebrow, but he gave it a good go.  
 _"Oh please,"_ she sighed, covering herself, _"Women gossip whether they transform into a wolf or not and every un-mated woman in this area probably knows you haven't sealed the deal yet. Laws don't stop them from looking."_

It was true. The treaties made it very clear that the packs to keep to themselves. Mating outside of your own was unheard of, but there was no covering up the scent of wolf that was yet to mate, especially with the full-moon on its way.  
That thought seemingly sparked something in Killian as, in an instant, he seemed to be surrounded by the perfumed scent that seemed to be rolling off of Emma towards him. His whole body stiffened, something in his mind seeming to click into place as he inhaled cinnamon, earth, sunshine and something just distinctly Emma.

The world around him seemed to fall away until there was only her, the blonde wolf sitting before him, moonlight reflecting in her hair, illuminating her bright green eyes that were locked on him. It was as if something had snapped, as if a tether had come loose only to be replaced by something much stronger, something holding him to her, _to Emma._

~E&K~

She gazed at the larger black wolf, getting lost in his penetrating blue gaze even as he seemed to be miles away in his own head. All that talk of mating and suddenly she seems to be seeing Killian Jones in a whole new light. Objectively speaking, he was a remarkable specimen of their kind. The sleek, glossy coat, the obvious strength and speed that were quite clearly contained in his muscled form, the way he held himself that just screamed his lineage. Beta by title, Alpha by nature. But looking at him now, Emma saw more. She noticed the wit, the intelligent gleam in his eye, the lack of aggression. He could have easily taken her down. A male wolf of his stature finding a powerful female outside of his pack close to his territory could easily be identified as a threat to be eliminated. Yet he had been the first to relax, so quick to let down his guard when he realised who she was.  
There was also the way that he didn't seem to look at her as a piece of meat as so many of the males in her own group was. He managed to ignore the base instinct the surely told him to just go and try and have her, instead holding a conversation as equals.

Her body was all too aware of his own, and she found it was a struggle not to shift around, trying to stem the heat that was erupting within her.  
In a second though, it stopped.  
Killian's eyes regained their focus and locked onto her own, a change having occurred within their depths.

Emma gasped with the shift. Her mind seemed to explode in a burst of light, the beam settling until there was nothing and no-one but Killian. The years of single nights of conversation flooded to the forefront of her memory, each interaction fuelled by fondness and what she now recognised as the unconscious desire to be close to him.  
The few feet that existed between them suddenly seemed like miles, everything in her urging her to cross that distance; to go to him, to her _mate._

Instead she turned and ran.

~E&K~

Killian couldn't get his legs to work as she flew away from him, he couldn't get his voice to call out her name as she went.  
He was hopeless; frozen to the ground by the force of her rejection, but what choice did they have. The law was clear. She could not be his, their choice was not a factor in the equation, the treaties over-ruled the emotion. They would never be together.

He threw his head back and howled, a long pitiful scream of anguish into the air that had the transformed blonde woman collapsing behind a tree-trunk with sobs wracking her body; the pain of not being able to go to him.

~E&K~

Liam sat against a large rock, soaking up the last traces of the sun, while his pack relaxed around him, Though he was trying to enjoy the slowly ebbing heat of the ending summer's day, his gaze was pulled to rest on his brother who was sat hunched over in the shadowed entrance to the den, where he had been since Tink forced him to come and join them.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, but a few months ago Killian had returned home with an undefinable pain in his eyes that Liam had no way of fixing. He had grown, thin and quiet; less willing to interact with any of their family, instead choosing to remain in the cove that passed for his room, curling up on his pallet and staring unwaveringly at the ceiling.  
Everyone had tried to coax him out from himself, though all were unsuccessful. Will had come back limping on his front leg, something having broken in Killian that had him lash out. He had taken his punishment in silence, collapsed without any fight beneath the weight of the alpha in Liam's voice. It was then everyone knew how truly troubled he was, Killian had never lain at his brother's feet, the strength of his blood keeping him standing with minimal struggle; he had never given up.

Liam felt hopeless as he gazed at the shell of the man who used to be Killian, the darkness that suddenly covered them not enough to hide the bruising beneath his eyes that betrayed his lack of sleep. He had just made up his mind to try and approach him again when Robin, who had been acting as a circling scout, appeared in wolf-form out of breath.  
Sensing the tension rolling off him, the pack immediately shifted as one.

 _"An intruder,"_ Robin huffed, his chest heaving, _"A lone male. I could smell him from a mile off. He's headed here."_  
 _"Then we drive him away,"_ Liam spoke, issuing it as a command to everyone.  
They fell into formation without another word, taking off into the brush and Liam was at least pleased to find Killian at his flank where he belonged, a spark in his eyes; the need to protect his family outweighing whatever it was that was troubling him.

They easily picked up the scent of the rogue, the stranger obviously changing course as he sensed the pack coming up behind him; but they needed him gone. If he remained on their land he was still a threat.  
With a determined growl, Liam shot forward, picking up the pace as his family followed behind.

~E&K~

Killian ran like a man (or a wolf even) possessed. Instinct to ensure the safety of the pack drove his body forward to such a point that he had to put himself in check so as not to overtake Liam. However, the thought flew from his mind as his eyes suddenly fixed on the lone wolf up ahead. He was crossing at speed back onto their land, which seemed odd considering they were the ones he was trying to escape, when he noticed the heavy scent of other wolves in the air.

Running across the length of no-man's land in a menacing line, were David's pack. The male had obviously fled onto their territory and they too were trying to drive him out. Without command, Killian split away from his formation, using all the strength in his hind-legs to push him faster than the rest, until he was snapping at the heels of the intruder, driving him back towards the boundary line and the two packs.

David was pulling back from the line, keeping distance between his wolves and Liam's who had crossed into the peaceful zone to give chase to the wolf who was running along the central strip between them. He once again tried to dart left only to be met by Killian, still out front, forcing him to hold his course. Instead the beast tried to go right when, out of nowhere, a slim blonde wolf was blocking his path.

Killian's senses flared at her closeness, the two of them running parallel to prevent escape, though the alpha had clearly decided who would be more difficult to pass.

Without warning, he leaped with his teeth and claws out, tackling the smaller wolf on his right to the ground, trying to pin her down not knowing what he had just unleashed.  
A terrible snarl erupted from somewhere deep within Killian and, uncaring of everything else, he launched himself at the exposed back of the alpha was attacking _his Swan._

The unidentified male screamed as Killian's fangs dug into him, hauling him sideways in a role off of Emma who lay limp on the ground behind the now raging battle. The two wolves dove at each other again and again, snapping and growling, trying to take each other to the ground. Killian was clearly the faster and stronger of the two, but was held back by his need to defend Emma who was yet to stand. The other male, sensing the weakness in his defense made one last huge lunge at the prone form on the ground, a move that would sink his claws into her neck.

But Killian was ready.

In a move so fast, he grabbed the other wolf by the throat as he flew through the air, swinging him around and tossing him in a heap to the ground.  
The blood in his veins, his ancestors blood roared to life as he stood at his full height, hackles raised, Emma safe beneath him and spoke in the voice of all the pack-leaders who had come before him.  
 _"Go from this place, do not return, or I shall be forced to kill you. Go!"_

Terrified, the other wolf scrabbled to his feet, running on three-legs away from the scene, not daring to look back.  
It wasn't until he was out of sight that Killian relaxed and dropped his head to nose at Emma.  
 _"Sweetheart,"_ he murmured desperately, nudging at her with a soft whine, _"Please wake up, please Emma, come back to me."_  
His ears flattened to his head as she remained motionless, his whining becoming more frantic as he pawed at her leg in hope of irritating her awake.  
 _"Please Emma,"_ he sobbed, _"I love you."_

Tentatively, he licked at her face , before flopping to the ground in defeat, his body curling protectively around her own.  
She was perfectly still until her chest suddenly expanded with a large intake of air, body shivering slightly and pressing back against him.  
 _"Killian?"_ She breathed, slowly tilting her head to look at him.  
 _"I'm here love, I've got you,"_ he answered, moving to lick at the wounds on her leg and neck.  
 _"You saved me,"_ Emma sighed in wonder, her snout turning to rub against his own.  
 _"Of course I did you bloody stubborn woman."_  
 _"Because you love me right?"_ she asked, ears twitching in amusement at his 'obviously' stare as he went back to cleaning her up, _"Good, because I love you too."_

That got him to stop.  
Killian gazed down into the same eyes that had been haunting him since he realised that she was the one, seeing the sincerity and feeling the piece of him that had been so prominently missing, fall back into place. Bending his neck, not caring about the awkward angle, he pressed his forehead against hers, eye closed, breathing properly for the first time in weeks.

 _"Care to explain little brother,"_ said a stern voice above his head, making Killian sigh and look up to meet the expectant gaze of his brother.  
 _"Yes I do believe an explanation is in order,"_ added David as he joined the trio.  
 _"You know it's not exactly in our control,"_ Emma said, looking from her brother to his, _"Bonds don't exactly obey the laws that were put in place decades ago. Just because you say something shouldn't happen doesn't mean it won't."_

The two alphas glanced at each other, likely having their own private conversation, which seemed grossly unjust in Killian's opinion. Still it gave him a chance to return his attention to Emma, enjoying being able to nose at the soft hairs along the column of her throat, imagining kissing a trail there when they were in human form. He also enjoyed how Emma's breath hitched as she leaned more heavily into him.  
A pointed bark drew them apart.

He could tell their brothers were trying to appear disapproving or annoyed even, but they shared the same happy glint as David said,  
 _"You two are a goddamn logistical nightmare."_  
He knew then that they would be okay.

~E&K~

Logistics as it turned out weren't really all that difficult to figure out.  
The two packs were friendly, the bad blood long since having left their system so it was easy enough to join forces. They still moved as the old packs to prevent issues of who was alpha, but their human sides allowed them to live harmoniously together, joining their land and creating one large den to share whilst maintaining the other two as private get-aways.

The next full moon came and Emma Swan basked in the soft light that filtered into her small alcove, resting naked atop the sleeping furs.  
It was this way that Killian found her, spread out before him like a delicious treat that he couldn't wait to sample.  
"God I love you," he rumbled, the wolf entering his voice as he tore his clothes off and rushed to cover her body.  
"It's payback time," she whispered into his ear, flipping them over so she was sat astride him, "Make me howl."

Safe to say that nobody in the den got any sleep that night as the newly mated pair too revenge on them all for the suffering they'd experienced every month of every year.  
In the morning, Liam and David told them they were banished to the other dens until they had themselves under control.

It wasn't until a few weeks later that they returned and even then, with every full-moon that came they left again enjoying being as loud as they wanted.

The End


	11. Pirate Queen

**A/N: So this one is probably a bit M for language and hints of smut. It's kind of a Black Sails au so if you don't want to go ahead with it then don't, but otherwise please enjoy. It gets super fluffy at the end.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Pirate Queen**

"Mistress Emma, there's a sail in the distance."

Emma straightened from her position hunched over the desk checking inventory in order to meet the gaze of the practically bouncing Ruby.  
"There are sails in the distance most days Red," she said, slowly raising an eyebrow, "What is it about _this_ sail that has you trying to defy gravity?"  
A look flitted across her third in command's face, so brief that Emma almost missed the sly smile.  
"Word from the Fort is that it's the Roger."

Mary-Margaret, her second, gasped; knocking ink across the table in her haste to cross the room.  
"Are you quite certain Red, is it-"  
"Ahem," Emma coughed pointedly, drawing the two women's' attention and garnering somewhat sheepish expressions at the mess. "Even if it is the Roger M, that is no excuse for ruining this week's accounts."  
The pixie-cut brunette appeared so deflate ever so slightly, only Ruby's hand in her own preventing her from going back to clean up the slowly spreading puddle of ink.

"Ignore her M," said Ruby, grabbing her by the elbow and steering them closer to the door away Emma, "She's probably just as excited as you are that they're back in port...or maybe not. Remind us Emma, did you kiss him goodbye last time or slap him?"  
The now empty inkpot sailed across the room, crashing against the bit of wall where Ruby's head had just been had she not managed to flee out into the bar just in time.

She could see some of the patrons chuckling at their antics, they knew all too well the reputation of Emma Swan, Mistress of the island. Though she appeared slight in frame, the pirates that flocked to her shores knew better than to cross her; fiercely tempered and always with a sword or pistol nearby. At first, when she'd taken over Nassau from Ingrid who had raised Emma after she was found washed up in a basket on the beach, people had been dubious about her position and choice of commanders. It was bad enough for some men to be under the control of one woman, let alone a whole island full of them. Those who doubted quickly learned their place and came to respect her for all that she did, trading their stolen goods under an old pseudonym for a far better price than they'd get anywhere else.

Casually saluting the bargoers, Emma gestured to one of her servers for another bottle before setting about putting the office to rights. The moment the new drink was in reach, she downed a healthy swallow, convincing herself all the while that it wasn't liquid courage. She didn't care. The Roger never strayed far from them for more than a couple of months or so, the Captain and his crew inevitably returning for their renowned hospitality. That was all they came for, the hospitality and the-

A squeal echoed from somewhere outside and Emma peered out to see Mary-Margaret beaming and August feigning sudden deafness as he strode over to her.  
"Mistress," he greeted, with the same wicked smile that Ruby had had earlier, "The Roger has just docked and we're in the process of unloading the cargo."  
"Well I trust that you don't need me to come and oversee things," she replied with a scowl, "You've done this enough times to know how we operate, get the goods to the warehouse and Regina and I will be down later to appraise it. Now if that's all August, I have work to be getting on with, as do you."  
"I just thought-"  
"What exactly did you _just think_ Mr Booth?"  
"Nothing Mistress," he responded quickly, moving back across the room and out onto the main trail that led to the docks.

With a heavy sigh, Emma squeezed her eyes shut and leaned back against the wall, hoping to block out the raucous noise if not just for a moment.  
"Mistress Emma?"  
"What!?" She snapped, turning to glare down the person who had dared to bother her.  
"Apologies milady," whispered Aurora, one of the serving girls, "I didn't mean to interrupt, but there's a fight broken out on the beach and no-one seems to be stopping it."

Allowing her shoulders to drop momentarily, Emma shot the girl an apologetic smile.  
"Thank you Aurora, I'll go and see to it now. Could you go and tell Granny we're going to probably need more stew tonight, another ships come in."  
As Aurora nodded and shuffled off, Emma drew herself up to full height and stalked down towards the beach, many of her guests falling in behind her, obviously excited to see just what their host was about to do.  
Fighting was one of many things not tolerated on Nassau.

It wasn't difficult to find the incident, the typical circle that had gathered to encompass the brawl and the rowdy shouts of the onlookers, suggesting the best course of action to take down their opponent. Some of them turned as she approached and quickly alerted the rest to the same fact, clearing a path so that she had easy access to the two men at the centre of it all.

"Well gentleman what do we have here?" She said coolly, hands crossed over her chest.  
"Mistress," sniveled one of the pair, "This bastard here dared to bestow insult upon meself, I thought it only right that I defend me honour."  
"With complete disregard for the rules of this establishment?"  
"Well, you see milady-"  
"Look, I don't care if he compared your cock to a bloody infants; there are none of these stupid pissing contests on my island, do I make myself clear."  
The gathered spectators hooted and hollered at the angry blush that spread across the man's cheeks as he spewed a quick apology as she turned away.  
"Bitch," he muttered once her back was fully facing him, and everything went silent.

She pivoted slowly, feeling the crowd close in around the poor bastard who'd made about the biggest mistake he could.  
"I'm sorry. What was that?" Her voice was clear, ringing out across the sand, drenched in venom.  
"Mistress, I'm so sor-"  
"No. That wasn't it," she interrupted his pitiful excuse for an apology, "I heard _bitch._ Did everyone else get that?"  
Dozens of heads nodded in unison, adding on to what was already a sealed fate; but the man did not seem willing to quickly back down.  
"You lot are dogs, tell me _whore._ How many cocks did you have to suck to keep control of this place. You're nothing but a fancy piece of skirt, I bet you spread your legs daily just to-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you mate."

Emma felt her spine straighten and an involuntary shiver ran through the length of her body at the sound of that voice. She refused to turn and acknowledge him, though her entire being seemed to hum at the feeling of his presence by her back.  
"Ah and here he is. You're the worst of the lot you are. Piss poor excuse of a man, with her hand shoved so far up your arse she's turned you into a bloody puppet."  
"Well I've known to be quite adventurous in bed, but even that may be pushing it a bit far for me."  
The laughter echoed around her, but Emma refused to relax, her narrowed gaze still glued to her intended target.  
"Of course, you're the expert of bedding this wench. Tell me, is she any better than a common slag."

Without hesistation, Emma strode forward and cold-clocked the man across the jaw, sending him sprawling back into the sand, where she moved to climb over him. Getting a good grip on his hair, she hauled his head up until their eyes were level.  
"You couldn't afford me, fucker," she spat and slammed him with her fist once more, putting his lights out.  
"Get him out of my sight," she ordered, turning on her heel, only to come toe-to-toe with the one person she wished to avoid.  
"Hello love," he whispered with his signature crooked grin, gazing down at her as he always had, as if she were his greatest treasure.

Emma drew back her palm and slapped him across the face.  
"Fuck you Jones," she hissed, marching back up the beach and away from the heckling crowd.

~E&K~

"Was it really necessary to hit him?" Ruby asked, glancing away from Mulan for the first time that night to glance at her partner's captain who was seated on the opposite side of the room to them, "He was only trying to help."  
"Jones knows better than to try and get involved with my affairs. I can handle this shit without him."  
She stabbed at a piece of meat, valiantly trying not to meet his magnetic eyes and stay focussed on the occupants of her own table. Regina was on her right next to the Roger's boson Robin, August was to her left next to Graham and then there was Ruby and Mulan who chimed in,  
"Oh he's absolutely aware that you can handle yourself, doesn't shut up about it most of the time. But he can never help himself when it comes to you."  
"It's the ex-navy in him," mumbled Robin through a mouthful of pork, "As much as you don't like and as much as he knows that you don't like it, he's a right proper little gentleman at heart and doesn't take well to anyone who bad-mouths you. I remember when we first took on Scarlett and he almost keelhauled the lad for making a comment about your um...chest."

August and Graham snickered while Regina rolled her eyes, and Emma stared Robin down until he felt too uncomfortable to keep looking at her. deep round of laughter drew her unwilling attention, Mary-Margaret's chiming giggle echoing above that of the rest of the crew. She was perched daintily upon the knee of David Nolan, Quarter-Master. The two were practically married, it was part of the reason that they came to the island so often, the couple seemed to plan to one day make it official. At that point, Emma would either lose M to a new life on the ship or gain David as another pair of able hands. She'd had many a heated discussion about it with Jones.

Naturally, he was at the focal point of the laughter, his men all leaning in as he delivered what was probably some manner of swash-buckling tale or other, a past misadventure that they could all look back on in jest.  
Many of the staff had seemed to drift into the orbit of his table. He had that effect on people, extremely dynamic, charismatic and all-round enthralling. It made him the best captain on the seas, her greatest earner, a loyal crew who worked seamlessly and caused him (and subsequently her) no trouble at all. The people automatically flocked to bask in his presence; the women in particular.

There was no denying how attractive a man he was. The chiseled jaw, wind-swept dark hair, piercing eyes that smoldered with the kohl he generously applied. Not to mention the damnable body hair that he wore so well on his face and exposed chest. She knew how far down it extended, the tantalising treasure trail as she often referred to it, leading to his-

She snapped herself back into reality, not comprehending that while she had zoned out she'd been tracing him over with her eyes. He seemed somewhat more tanned if that were possible, the colour dipping beneath his collar suggesting he'd been toiling without a shirt. Not that that mattered to her. No, right now, that looked as if it was going to be the discovery of some nameless wench who had sidled up out of nowhere and slunk onto his lap with her corset doing nothing to rein in her chest.  
Emma pushed away from the table suddenly, the questions of her friends falling on deaf ears as she strode away up the stairs and into her room.  
The door hadn't fully closed but she couldn't find it in herself to be bothered, marching over to her mirror and gazing at her reflection.  
"I swear you get more and more beautiful every time I see you."

Of course he'd followed her.  
He was framed by the candles outside her door, all sharp lines in dark leather, the menace counter-acted by the gentle caress of his voice and the soft fondness in his eyes.  
There was no hesitation as he locked them in before covering the distance between them in three long steps, cupping her face between his hands and kissing her passionately.  
Her hand moved of its own volition again the moment he drew back, striking him across the cheek, before seizing him by the lapels and slamming their lips together once more.

She felt his hungry moan as it reverberated through his chest, touching her at her core and making her come alive.  
"God I have missed you," he murmured, trailing kisses down the length of her neck, moving them bcakwards until his knees hit the bed and they collapsed with her straddling his hips, "I missed you so much Emma."  
"I missed you too," she breathed, teeth sinking into his earlobe, as she struggled with his belt. There was no time for finesse, she simply had to have him.

With the necessary layers of clothes pulled away, they joined together quickly, a heated coupling months in the making as they relentlessly chased the sweet release. She found oblivion first, falling forward onto his chest as he slammed upwards a few more times to reach his own completion. She had wanted to hold out longer this time, maybe make him work for it, but the moment she touched him, it was inevitable.

Slowly, they removed the sweat-drenched articles, moving to lie curled into one another beneath the sheets.  
"These months apart from you have been torture," he mumbled into her hair, fingers weaving through the loosened golden strands, made brighter as they caught the glow of the flickering candles, "I hate leaving you on an argument."  
"Makes for a great reunion though," she teased, tracing above the tattoo on his hip where she knew him to be ticklish, "I don't even recall what we were fighting about."  
"I believe I did something chivalrous, holding open a door for you maybe...you threw a beer mug at me."  
He was trying to found put-out, but she could hear the smile in his voice and took it as her cue to nuzzle up below his jaw in the manner which he never could resist.  
"You love it," she breathed, ghosting a kiss across his searching lips, deepening it for a moment before pressing their foreheads together.  
"It certainly serves to keep me on my toes," he chuckled, gazing up at her with a smile, "To be honest, I'd probably still love you even if you shot at my feet to make me dance."

"Killian-" she sighed, trying to put some distance between them.  
"Emma," he replied, sitting up with her and trapping her in his arms.  
"Come on, let me go," she whined, making a thoroughly half-hearted attempt at escaping.  
"Not a chance Swan. I love you."

"Ugh," she groaned, pushing them both back down, resting her palms on the mattress to hold herself above his stupidly handsome face, "You know I could ruin your reputation by telling everyone you're an absolute sap."  
"You could, but you won't because I am your absolute sap and...I could ruin you as well by telling people that you like it."  
"I hate you," she breathed, kissing him again to contain his laughter.  
"Oh really?" He teased, pushing his hips up and causing her to moan, "Hate me do you?"  
"Only sometimes."

She had him over and over again that night, months apart giving them the strength to see each other through until morning, soft words pressed into skin catching one another up on all they had missed in the past months that he was away. He'd only be with her for a week or so at max before he would set sail again, a fact that they always chose to ignore, instead spending their time fighting, flirting and eventually fucking. They never called it making-love, though over time it had become more obvious that what they were doing most of the time wasn't just 'lazy sex,' it made his leaving all the more difficult, which fuelled her reluctance to tell him how she truly felt. There was nobody else for either of them. He never took up the many offers of the women who constantly approached him and everyone who stayed with her knew that she had chosen him and only him. They belonged to one another body and soul, but the words always seemed to fail her.

"What about the other times Swan?" Killian asked as dawn broke through the windows, the brightness painting the scars on his body white and making them stand out for her to trace. She simply hummed in response, not knowing what he was really asking.  
"You said you only hate me sometimes. What about the rest of it?"  
"Killian," she pleaded, already feeling her tongue grow heavy in her mouth, ashamed of her inability to tell this man what they both already knew.  
"Emma please," he begged her, cradling her gently in his arms, "Just say it for me once, I'll never ask again, just the one time."

She knew the self-loathing in his voice, how he hated to try and force it out of her, but she was the also one of very few to know how desperately Killian Jones, the Pirate King of the Seven Seas craved the live of other people. He was much like her in that sense, age old abandonment issues covered by a tough façade, yet he was also different in that he was willing to readily bare himself so openly to her.  
"I can't let you break my heart Killian," she said, hand tugging slightly at his hair to ground her.  
"I won't Emma, please, you know I won't."  
"I can't know that, you can't know that. Our lives Killian, they're dangerous, uncertain."  
"Then for once let me make you certain of one thing. I love you Emma Swan, I have since I met you and I will for the rest of my life, however long it may be. So if you can trust in nothing else, trust in that, trust in me, trust that I will always return to your side because it is where I belong."

He stared at her, eyes full of longing, the inextinguishable flame of hope that resided there. Though it slowly dimmed as she shook her head and turned her face away into his neck with shame.  
She couldn't say it, not now, she wanted to so desperately, but she couldn't.  
He let it go, he would let her get away with anything that she asked, silencing his hurt for the sake of her happiness. The heartache was put aside, no room for it in the short span of time they had left together.

~E&K~

This time she had come down to the docks.  
She had no intention of slapping him as he loaded up the Roger with supplies for the next months, all the fight having seemingly left her as he dressed for the final time that morning. Pulling her tightly into his arms for one last embrace out of the eyes of everyone else. Outside of the door, they couldn't afford to show that amount of vulnerable affection. He'd held his lips to her hair throughout, mouthing the words over and over again, as if to imprint them upon her skin, before slinging his coat on and sheathing his sword.

The crew were all mounting the gang-plank; Mulan, David and Robin lingering longer than the others to wish their lovers a fond farewell. They were all in the same position as her, though more able to express themselves than her own walled up personality. Killian was the very last man standing on the docks, stood before her as was customary of all the captains upon their departure.  
"Until next time my lady," he said, smirking down at her as was expected of Captain Jones.  
"Safe journeying," she responded, ever the polite dignitary.

She watched as he moved further away from her, listened as Mary-Margaret cried softly still speaking to David who was leaning over the guard-rail to echo her affections. Suddenly, something in her mind seemed to give way to an altogether more powerful entity and her voice called out of its own accord.  
"Killian!" She yelled, slightly louder than she had wanted to, but it did the job in halting his progress.

As he looked back at her with a question in his eyes, Emma picked up her skirts and ran the short length of space between them, flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him with so much fervor that he was forced to lift her from the ground.  
"Emma, I-" he started to speak, but she silenced him with her hand.  
"I love you too."

It felt unbelievably simple to say, the words gliding smoothly from her to him without falter or hesitation.  
The grin that spread across his face was enough to tell her how much she had made the right decision for once when it came to him.  
"Wait for me love," he said, a statement rather than a question, because the answer would never change.  
"Always." 


End file.
